What Eyes Should not See
by smileplease91
Summary: My own little version of Corpse Party and my own characters. Shows what they endure. It's during the events of Corpse Party.
1. To Hell

All right, I'm trying something that I did for my Fallout 3 fanfiction. This fanfiction that is for Corpse Party, I am making up characters and giving it a shot. This one may be longer than my other ones, but I'm not sure.

**What Eyes Should not See**

Chapter 1

He woke up in Heavenly Host Elementary School to find himself in what he thought to be a desecrated classroom. The floor was gone in various areas, and the walls were cracked and dirty. Some of the desks were overturned. He could hear the rain pattering on the windows and the thunder roll in the distance. Lightning would flash every once in a while to give better lighting to the dim room. He lay on the floor for a moment or two, feeling dazed and confused. The one thing that scared him was the utter silence. Other than the thunder and the sound of the rain, he heard no voices of any kind. Before, there had been six others with him. He did not hear either one of their voices. Then, to his comfort…

"Big brother?"

He looked to his right to find his younger sister sitting up, her back against the wall, holding her head as if it hurt. He sat up as well and crawled to her to see if she was all right. With a moment of observance, he saw she was not hurt at all, which relieved him.

"Reika, can you stand?" he asked.

Reika Takahashi nodded and rose to her feet slowly, staggering slightly as she did. She was a thirteen-year-old girl, petite and pretty. She was a gymnast and was on the team at her elementary school, and was well-liked by her classmates, despite her bashfulness. She was intelligent, but she had difficulties in Math, her least favorite subject. Her black hair stopped just at her ears, and her brown eyes held a sense of innocence to them. She had on the traditional sailor fuku, her skirt a dark red and her neckerchief dark red as well, her blouse white. Her knee-knockers were white, and her penny loafers were black. In her hair was a white barrette. She looked at her brother with her big brown eyes full of fear.

"Big brother, where are we?"

Eighteen-year-old Hideki Takahashi put his hand on his sister's shoulder, unable to give her an immediate answer.

Hideki was a handsome young man with black hair and stunning hazel eyes. He had on his school uniform, which consisted of dark khakis, a dark green blazer with his school crest on the front pocket, a white shirt with a dark green tie, white socks, and brown penny loafers. He was thin but athletic- he ran track at his high school and was being given a scholarship to run at his college once he graduated. Like his sister, he was well-liked at his school, and many looked up to him. He was not as bashful as Reika, but he was still slightly shy. However, he was kind and was easy to talk to. He was also gifted, and would help Reika in her struggles with Math.

Hideki glanced around the room to find scattered pieces of paper on the floor. He bent down and gathered them. He was surprised to see that it was an old newspaper, which discussed the kidnappings that had been done to some of the school children.

"Well?" he heard Reika call.

"I'm not sure," he responded as he stood up. "Let's look around this classroom, okay? Be careful around the fallen areas of the floor."

Reika nodded, and she and Hideki began to investigate. Hideki tried to open the windows, but they seemed to be fixtures on the walls. He opened the desks, and the last one he opened had a crumbled up piece of paper in it. He smoothed it out and read the scrawled handwriting that was on the page.

_I don't want to be here anymore. _

_Izumi, where are you? _

_We came here together, but you ran away after we found that body. I've been looking everywhere for you. We shouldn't be apart in this place. If you read this, please come find me. _

_Your dear friend, Suzume._

There was one word that caught Hideki's attention: body. He put the letter back in the desk; perhaps Suzume had put it there knowing that Izumi would look there. He walked up to the teacher's desk and opened it to find nothing. He looked behind him to see the chalkboard. Beside the chalkboard was another article from a newspaper. The first sentence immediately made him shake: _Heavenly Host Elementary- Notice to All Faculty and Students._ He had heard about what had happened there before, and the newspaper he found a moment ago reiterated that. Surely, they had not been somehow transported to this school which no longer existed. He looked at Reika to see her reading the newspaper he had found earlier. Where was everyone else?

He heard chalk writing on the chalkboard behind him. He turned around to find words written on the board, and the message was threatening: _I'll kill you. _For some reason, he felt as if he and Reika had better get out of the room.

"Reika, let's go," he said.

"Huh?"

The feeling was nearly overbearing to Hideki. He walked over and grabbed Reika's hand.

"Let's go," he once again said as he pulled her out of the room.

Once in the hallway, Reika questioned her brother, who told her what he had felt in the room. She was stunned to say in the least, and she wondered why she did not feel the presence like he did.

"Big brother, what about everyone else? Where are they?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"_You are… searching for your friends?"_

They turned to see a blue light floating in the air. Almost as soon as he saw it, Hideki knew that it was the spirit of someone. Reika was looking around, trying to find where the voice came from.

"Yes," Hideki replied.

"_You will not find them,"_ the spirit, which had the voice of a young man, spoke.

Reika realized that the blue light in front of her was the thing the voice was coming from, and she would have screamed if her brother had not been so calm. She latched onto Hideki's arm, scared but trying to hide it.

"_Do not fear me, little one," _the ghost reassured. _"I am not a malevolent spirit. I aim to help you."_

Reika's tension decreased, but she still remained latched onto her brother's arm.

"What do you mean by that?" Hideki asked.

"_This school has many dimensions,"_ the ghost began. _"While you are in this one, your friends are in others. Indeed, you are in the same school, but you may never meet. You are trapped in 'close spaces' against your will, just like I was." _

Hideki felt Reika's arms clench tighter around his arm.

"How is it possible to be in the same school but never meet?" Hideki requested.

"_It is just as I said. You are in closed spaces. There are barriers that must be broken, but no one has ever done this. If somehow you can break those barriers, you may be able to meet your friends again and escape." _

"Escape?" Reika questioned.

"_I… died here," _the ghost quietly informed them. _"No one has been able to find a way out. Many have tried. All have failed." _

Hideki heard Reika whimper.

"_I must warn you. There are others like me, and there are others that will do you harm. The ones that will harm you are red, like the fires of vengeance that burn in someone's heart. There are children here… three girls and a boy… who do not have tongues. If you see them, run. You will die if you linger, regardless if you mean them no harm." _

Hideki nodded.

"_I wish you luck. I want you to find a way out of here. I want you to live. I don't want you to be tortured like I am…" _

"Why are you tortured?" Hideki questioned.

"_If you die here… you will re-live your death over and over again. You will be trapped here, and you will never escape the pain you felt as you died." _

Hideki thought Reika was going to tear his arm off.

"_Please, survive. Do whatever it takes." _

The ghost then faded away, leaving Hideki and Reika alone in the hallway. Hideki looked down at Reika to see that she had tears in her eyes. He knew she had to be scared beyond words. He was, too. He smiled at Reika to give her reassurance.

"Don't worry, Reika. We'll find our friends, and we'll get the heck out of here."

Reika smiled back at her brother, and the two began to make their way around the school. Some areas were inaccessible, so they paid those no mind. They entered a classroom to see if anyone was there, but what they found made Reika scream and Hideki cry out in shock. In the classroom were two bodies on the floor. One was a young girl, around sixteen, who seemed to have died from starvation. She was lying in the lap of the other was a girl who was about the same age, whose back was against the wall. She was bloody, and what appeared to be stab wounds were all over her body. Hideki immediately turned Reika away and buried her face in his torso, but the damage had been done. He inspected the corpses to find their nametags: the girl that was bloody was Arisu Tomei, and the girl in her lap was Emiko Tomei, twin sisters. Clenched in the hand of Emiko were several pages of paper. Hideki took them out of Emiko's hand and read it to find that the pages were dated and took account of the events that happened to the two girls.

_9/5/04_

_Arisu died today._

_I could only stand outside of this room and listen as that little girl in the red dress murdered my twin sister for no reason. I was locked out, and I tried my best to get in, but… _

_After the murder, the doors were unlocked, and the little girl was no longer in the room. Arisu was dead. _

_I cried, but no tears came out. I know I'm dehydrated, and I'm starving. I'm so tired. To be honest, I just want to go ahead and die. I can't live like this anymore. I think I'll just rest a moment right here. I can't leave Arisu now. Just a minute, then I'll get going. _

_9/6/04_

_I can't leave this room. That little girl in the red dress locked me in here. _

_You know what? I don't even care anymore. I know Mom and Dad will be sad, but I'm just so tired… and I can't leave without Arisu. _

_9/8/04_

_I can hear that little girl laughing outside this room. I know she's mocking me. _

_Can I die now? I don't want to do this anymore. _

The writing stopped, and Hideki could only surmise that Emiko finally passed away. He thought about his friends, the six that came here as well. There was the girl he loved, Anju Hanari, and her best friend Ayame Imamura. Hideki's best friend Haru Kano and his girlfriend Shiori Nijo were also there. They were all on his mind, but getting to Anju was his main priority. He thought about the possibility of her being alone in this horrific place, and he wanted nothing more than to break down those barriers and find her to make sure she was safe.

He and Reika stared at the scrawled notes in wordless horror. Emiko had went through so much, and even stayed with her sister's corpse until she departed from the world. Hideki glanced at Reika to see that she shook from fear. He put the notes back in Emiko's hands and stood up.

"Come on, Reika. I think we should go. If Arisu was killed in here, that girl may return, and we don't wanna be in here when that happens, do we?"

Reika quickly shook her head, and she and her brother walked out of the room. Just as Hideki's whole body had exited the room, the door slammed shut. Hideki and Reika jerked around and looked at the door. What seemed to be thick black hair was now wrapped around it. Reika took a step closer to get a better look, but she suddenly screamed and jumped back. She buried her head in Hideki's torso and clenched onto his shirt. Confused, he looked at the door, startled to see faces behind the hair. He took a step back, Reika still latched onto his body. He staggered and softly pulled Reika away from him. He hid her eyes from seeing the door, and he led her away.

Hideki had always been brave, but even this place was pushing his limits. People lay all around, dead, decomposing or just a pile of bones. The smell was immense, and the sights were macabre to say in the least. Since his sophomore year in high school, he had been preparing himself for the career he was to pursue in college: crime scene investigator. He knew that he would see sights that were grotesque and horrific. Life did not discriminate: men, women, children- death came to them all, sometimes in a grisly manner. He knew this. He thought he was certain that he was ready for the future. Still, nothing prepared him for the things he and Reika were seeing in this school, and all the while, he had to keep a good front so that Reika would not lose her mind.

He wondered about his friends again. He thought about Anju, and if she were with someone. He had to find her- he would tear down this place dimension by dimension if he had to.


	2. The Infirmary

Anju Hanari and Ayame Imamura stood in a long, dimly lit hallway, hands held together in fear. For nearly an hour now, they had been searching for their friends in this, as Ayame titled "Godforsaken" school, without sight or sound from anyone. That is what scared them the most; the quietness of the school was so quiet was so deafening and eerie that they started to have random conversations just to drown out the quietness. When they saw their first corpse, they ran out of the room screaming, crying, and Ayame threw up. In the blink of an eye, they were pulled from their normality and forced to see horrific sights that no one should ever have to see. But, what really scared them was not knowing where everyone else was. They were told by a benevolent spirit that their friends were in this school, but in different dimensions; however, they chose not to believe it, since it was logically impossible to be in the same place and unable to eventually come to meet up somewhere. On the other hand, nothing in this place seemed logical at any standpoint.

Anju was seventeen. She was a beautiful girl with jet black hair that stopped at her shoulder blades. Her eyes were a dark blue, her lips were full, and her ears were slightly bigger than she wanted them to be. She was self-conscious about her ears, so that was why she wore her hair long and never cut it short. She was thin and smaller up top than she desired to be; however, she still caught Hideki gawking from time to time. She wore her school uniform, which consisted of the traditional sailor fuku: dark green skirt, white shirt, and a dark green kerchief. Her knee-knockers were white, and she wore brown penny-loafers. In her hair was a white barrette that had flowers engraved in it- Hideki had given it to her recently since she lost her favorite one in a volleyball match.

Ayame, also seventeen, was pretty as well with shoulder-length, curly brown hair. Her green eyes always held brightness to them, even when she was the most scared or intimidated. Her lips were not full like Anju's, and she was well-endowed. She often joked to Anju about her breasts, stating that Anju's were cuter since they were smaller, but Anju thought she was just trying to make her feel better about herself. She had on the same sailor fuku as Anju, since both went to the same school. Around her neck was a necklace with a bird of paradise flower pendant that was given to her by her older brother who was tragically killed in a car accident three years ago. She never took it off.

She and Ayame had been best friends since Kindergarten; she was so happy when she woke up and saw Ayame there beside her. The two girls played volleyball together, and they were both as equally good, and when it came to school, they were intelligent but never really understood Math; however, they excelled in Science since it relied on logic and reasoning. Out of the two, Anju was braver, but that was not saying much. Anju had always relied on Hideki when things seemed to be spiraling out of control; Hideki was unreasonably courageous- Anju called it stupid. On the other hand, no matter how ridiculous she thought Hideki's courage was, she always hoped that she could become a little braver like him. Her greatest fear was darkness, and it was not because she thought there was something out there. No, her reason was it was just a horrific fear she had. When the lights came off, either a cell phone light could be seen in the room or she was panicking. Ayame could remember ever since they were little girls that Anju had always been terrified of the darkness, so when people would make fun of Anju's childish fear, Ayame would stand up for her.

Ayame clenched Anju's hands tighter, and she swallowed hard. "Did you hear that scream?"

About a minute ago, there was a shrill scream that echoed throughout the hallway. The scream sounded like their friend Shiori's.

"Y-yes," Anju stammered. "See, Ayame? That ghost was wrong. We heard her!"

"What do we do?" Ayame asked.

"We go find her."

"Anju, are you insane?" Ayame questioned. "That scream was one that had nothing but pain held in it. If we go find her-"

"I know!" Anju yelled, interrupting Ayame. "I know… but we can't just leave her there. I'm scared- no. I'm terrified. But, I have to help her."

Ayame bit her lip, but she could not help to agree with Anju. "Well? When are we going?"

"Now," Anju replied, slow low it was nearly a whisper. She was still trying to convince herself that she and Ayame could do this and be all right. Hand in hand, they began to search the school. Body after body, they stumbled across. Everyone was so young; how could ghosts, even if they were children themselves, murder other children? Surely, they felt wronged and as if they wanted the chance to live, so why deny others their right as well? How could someone in their right mind make a place such as this? None of it made any sense. Ayame and Anju continued searching until they came across an infirmary. They decided to enter the room and investigate.

Once inside, they could feel a significant change in the atmosphere. The air thickened, and they felt as if something was really wrong. There was a portrait on the wall of the digestive track, which had blood smeared all over it. The desk had a book on it, but when they tried to read it, it was as if it was part of the desk, and the pages would not turn. In the medicine cabinet was rubbing alcohol and some bandages, but as of the moment, the girls were unscathed. Ayame took the bandages and rubbing alcohol and put them in her school bag in case the need called for them later. They saw the beds, and despite the eerie feeling, they thought it best if they rested a moment. Anju lay down, Ayame soon scooting in beside her.

"It's odd," Ayame spoke. "These beds are actually comfortable."

"And not dirty, like most of this school," Anju added. "Perhaps we shouldn't stay in here too long, Ayame. I don't have a good feeling about this room."

"I don't either," Ayame agreed. "We'll just rest for a second then leave."

A second became a minute, a minute became five, and before Anju knew it, she was waking up. She looked beside her to see Ayame sleeping oddly soundly, considering the place. Anju stretched and glanced around the room to see that nothing was there; however, the odd feeling she had when she and Ayame first entered the room was now worse than it was before. She honestly felt as if someone were in the room with them. She shook Ayame to try to awaken her- suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared beside Ayame, which startled Anju.

"Sachiko is my pride and joy," came out of the shadowy figure's mouth.

Immediately, Anju knew they had to get out of there. She began to shake Ayame harder.

"Ayame! Ayame! Wake up!" she cried out. Ayame opened her eyes and jerked up.

"What? What?" She turned to see the shadowy figure, which seemed to be reaching for her. At that instance, Ayame let out a shrill scream and jumped off the bed. The shadowy figure stopped reaching and turned to face Ayame, who appeared to be scared stiff. The figure began to make its way to her, reaching out for her.

"Ayame, run!"

Ayame, eyes wide in shock and fear, stood still, quivering uncontrollably.

"I won't let you hurt her," the figure spoke. "She would do anything for me."

Anju jumped up and ran to Ayame. She grabbed her wrist and began to pull her out of the room. All at once, it felt as if Ayame's temperature had dropped significantly and her body had turned to stone, and Anju could not pull her anymore. She turned around to see that Ayame had her head bowed and the figure was nowhere to be seen. She exhaled a sigh of relief and walked to where she was in front of Ayame. She thought Ayame was too scared to move, so she decided to make a light joke about the situation. She tried to stop shaking, but she could not, so she put on her best smile and tried her best.

"Wow, that was scary, huh, Ayame?" she chuckled.

There was no response from her best friend.

"Hey. It's okay. It's gone now," she reassured. "Let's get out of this room, okay? I don't wanna be here when she comes back."

Still nothing. She looked at Ayame for a moment, who kept her head bowed. She took a step closer to her and put her hands up to her shoulders.

"Ayame?"

"Sachiko is my pride and joy," Ayame darkly spoke. "I won't let you hurt her."

Before Anju could react, she was thrown out of the room and onto the wall with such a force, it knocked the breath out of her. Her knee twisted in an odd direction and instantaneously began to hurt. Anju's bottom hit the floor, and she sat there a moment, trying to recuperate. She looked into the room to see Ayame standing at the door, staring at her with darkness in her eyes. Anju tried to get up, but her knee was out of place and made it increasingly painful to move. However, Ayame did not leave the room. Anju took a deep breath and with a swift motion relocated her knee to its rightful position, which in turn caused her to scream in sheer pain. She rose to her feet and started to run; however, she was not as fast as normal because of her leg.

"Anju?"

She jerked to a stop and wheeled around to see Ayame out in the hallway, the darkness in her eyes gone. She had a worried look on her face, and it seemed she was back to herself. Anju, now shaking harder than ever, took a step back, unsure if this was a trick or not. Ayame stepped toward Anju.

"Anju! What are you doing? Don't leave me!" she cried out, tears soon beginning to roll down her face.

"How do I know if it's you?" Anju asked, her voice shaky.

"If it's me? Anju, who else could I be?"

Anju reeled back, stunned by Ayame's words. She was unaware of what had just happened to her. She cautiously walked to Ayame and touched her. Her skin felt warm and soft, not like stone as it had before. She glanced at the infirmary to see that the door was now shut; she did not hear it shut before. She then directed her attention to her friend and felt undeniably happy that she was back. She threw her arms around her and started to cry.

"Anju, what's wrong?"

"Th-that figure took over your body, Ayame!" Anju sobbed. "It used you to hurt me!"

Ayame did not know what to say. She looked at Anju's knee to see that it was swollen at to an alarming size, then to the wall, where she could see a small indentation where Anju had been thrown into it. She jerked away from Anju and shook her head.

"No," she denied, "no. It's illogical. It doesn't make sense. Possession can't happen."

"Open your eyes, Ayame!" Anju blubbered. "This school is nothing but illogical, but it's all happening! People are dead here, ghosts are haunting us, and not only that, but they're using us! This isn't a dream! This is real!"

Ayame backed away from Anju, unable to breathe or think. The last thing she remembered before the hallway was looking at the figure that was in front of her. She would never hurt Anju, but here she was before her, injured.

"An…ju…" she whispered slowly. "I… I'm so sorry."

Anju wiped away her tears. "It wasn't you who hurt me. It was that ghost. So, don't worry about it, okay?"

Ayame nodded, but she still blamed herself. If she had not been such a coward, none of that would have happened. Anju then remembered a name the ghost had said.

"She spoke about Sachiko," she mentioned.

"Sachiko? Isn't that the name of the little girl who survived the murders?" Ayame questioned.

"Yes, and gathering from the words the ghost spoke, Sachiko was her daughter."

"What makes you say that?"

"She said, 'Sachiko is my pride and joy.'"

Ayame shook her head. "There are other little girls here, Anju. Any one of them could be named Sachiko."

"True. But here's the question. If there are only children and teenagers here, why is there an adult?"

"Maybe it was just a really young mother looking for her child?"

Anju shrugged. "I don't know. The spirit just didn't feel like a child or teenager to me. It felt mature."

Ayame giggled. "Oh, so now you're an expert on the paranormal?"

Anju laughed as well. "Might as well be, considering all the ghosts we've come in contact with here."

After that, they decided to keep walking, Anju with a small limp. They made a mental note to stay out of the infirmary. Anju thought about Hideki and his whereabouts in the school. She wondered if Reika was with him and if they were safe. She then thought about Haru and Shiori, and the same questions ran through her mind for them as well. She wanted to find them and get out of this corpse-filled place. With nearly each corpse they found, there was a story with it. Starvation, murder, succumbing to the darkening, suicide- regardless of the story, it was just as frightening as the rest. They recalled the ghost's words earlier, the one that was benevolent and helped them, about dying in this place; they were forever tortured with their death. Anju and Ayame decided then that they would be each other's light and would survive, no matter the cost, find their friends, and get out, no matter what.


	3. Students Obey Your Teachers

"Shiori, come on, jump! I'll catch you, I promise!"

Seventeen-year-old Shiori Nijo looked across the gap in the floor at eighteen-year-old Haru Kano with fear in her eyes. She looked behind her to see a little boy ghost running toward her; he was without a tongue. They had met two friendly ghosts when they first arrived in Heavenly Host that gave them much-needed information about the place and the spirits that dwelled there, especially of the three little children who were not to be taken lightly. Her heart raced and tears were in her eyes; there was no way she could make that jump.

"Shiori, if you don't jump, you are going to die," Haru quickly warned. "I don't want that to happen, and neither do you. Please, jump. I'll catch you."

Shiori knew she could not delay any further. She took a deep breath and jumped, her arms extended outward toward Haru. She closed her eyes in fear, but felt arms wrap around her waist. She opened her eyes to see Haru in front of her with a smile on his face.

"You did it! You cleared that gap with ease!" Haru laughed. "Come on, let's go!"

He wrapped his hand around hers, and they took off running down the hallway to escape the little boy. They found a staircase and ran down it but stopped halfway down to catch their breaths. Haru glanced at Shiori to see if she were all right; she appeared to be physically, but mentally, he was not sure. He was certain on one thing: he was petrified. On the other hand, he also knew that if he showed any doubt, Shiori would lose herself, and he did not want that to happen.

For, the thing was, Haru was not only her boyfriend, but her guide and support.

Shiori's life had not been easy. Her father died three years ago from cancer, and her mother deserted Shiori and her younger sister soon after that. Shiori's grandparents adopted them, and it made her feel so guilty that they were raising them after raising her mother. Her grandparents were not too old, but they certainly were not young anymore, so Shiori took the task of raising her sister, Yukata on her own. With this responsibility and the stresses of school, she hardly ever smiled.

Then, Haru came into the picture. He gave her a reason to smile.

Two years ago, a year after her father passed away and her mother left, Shiori transferred from a different high school, and she and Haru met. Haru could see the pain in her eyes, and he wanted to help her some way. He would always smile for her and give her words of encouragement. Little by little, day by day, her spirits began to lift, and soon she was smiling again.

However, Haru had a secret. His life was not easy, either. Haru's mother died when he was nine, and since then his father abused him. Not only did his father beat on him, but in elementary school the children would be demean him hurt him as well. He could not escape. Hideki was the subject to the bullying as well since he stood up for his best friend, and would often get in the way of punches and kicks so that Haru would not get hurt anymore. Hideki even told someone about Haru's father, but when asked, Haru would lie and say that he and his father would just horsing around, and sometimes his father would forget his own strength. High school was a change for Haru, and people no longer picked on him and Hideki; they became well-liked and respected; however, nothing changed at home, and day after day, Haru would take the beatings. That is, until he was seventeen. He moved out of his house and into his cousin's apartment, got a part-time job, and went to school. Shiori gave him purpose and made him want to go to school and succeed. He promised himself he would never let anything bad happen to her.

And yet, here they were, in this school of the dead.

"Shiori?"

Shiori looked at him with her black eyes that were still filled with fear. Shiori was a pretty, thin girl, and her eyes always held some sort of mystery to them. She had long black hair that she wore in piggy-braids. She had thin lips and a small nose that Haru thought to be cute, and often he would place a quick kiss on it as they parted for the classes they did not have together. She wore the same sailor fuku as Anju and Ayame, and she had silver hoop earrings. She was average in her bust size, but compared to Ayame, she was nothing. Any girl that was around Ayame would be self-conscious about that. Not the sporty type, Shiori was the leader of the Debate team. Haru was a strikingly attractive young man; girls would debate over which one was cuter- Haru or Hideki, and often, they just decided that both were equal. Haru had steel-gray eyes and hair that was so lightly black, it seemed gray. He had thin lips as well, and his ears, like Anju, made him self-conscious for how big they were. He wore the same attire as Hideki, and on his wrist he wore a blue ribbon; no one knew what that ribbon was for, with the exception of Shiori. He never removed it.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

Shiori nodded, but slowly. She glanced behind her to make sure nothing was coming down the stairs. Haru could tell that she was scared, so he walked up the stairs, took a quick glance, and saw that nothing was coming. He came back down to her and nodded with a smile, which comforted her. He walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You did well back there, Shiori."

Shiori looked at Haru and smiled sadly. "I did?"

Haru hugged her. "I know you were scared, but remember our promise?"

"…That… I can't let you do that."

Haru laughed. "Too bad, Shi. It's a promise, and I don't go back on those. Now, let's get going, all right?"

He took hold of Shiori's hand, and they walked down the stairs to the first floor. At the first floor, Haru and Shiori could immediately tell that something was different about it. The school had always been eerily quiet, but this floor was a different type of quiet. This quiet was almost disturbing, as if there were a presence there that did not want them there. However, they had to be here; the third floor was blocked, so the first floor was where they had to go. The air was different as well. It was as if it was thick, and it made it hard to breathe. Haru, still holding onto Shiori's hand, took a step forward. Shiori did not move.

"H-Haru," she called, "we shouldn't be here. Something is wrong."

"I feel it too," Haru agreed, "but we have nowhere else to go. The third floor is blocked, and if we go back up to the second floor, that little boy ghost will catch us."

"We can run away from him," Shiori argued. "I really don't like it here."

Haru lightly squeezed Shiori's hand. "I'm sorry, Shiori, but we have to go through here. I'll protect you. I promise."

Shiori knew they had no choice, so they pressed on. Room by room, they passed, and each room was locked. The air became thicker as they traveled further down the hall. Haru looked at Shiori to see that she was chewing on the inside of her mouth- a nervous trait she had, that according to her, her whole life. They walked by a classroom, and Haru pulled on the sliding doors to find that it was unlocked. He opened the doors and walked inside, but stopped when he felt Shiori jerk her hand out of his. He turned, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"What's wrong?"

"No!"

"'No' what? Shiori-"

"Don't you feel it? This room is worse than the hallway!"

"But something could be in here that could help us. Maybe Hideki was here."

"I don't care!" Shiori cried out. "I don't care!"

Haru sighed. "Fine, you can stay here. I'm going to take a look around, okay? If you see anything, let me know."

Haru walked on into the classroom, despite feeling uneasy. There was definitely something wrong with this room, but if there was any clue that could lead them to their friends, he had to find it. He looked around the room. Desks were toppled over, the chalkboard was broken on the floor, and the teacher's desk was overturned on the floor. The air was immensely thick- Haru could barely breathe. He started to try opening the desks to see if Hideki, Anju, or Ayame had left anything behind, but the desks would not open. He sighed and decided to give up- this room had a presence in it that was frightening, and he wanted to leave. He turned to face Shiori, and when he did, he heard a faint, female voice behind him.

"_You are late again." _

All at once, the teacher's desk was slammed against the wall, which scared Haru greatly. Shiori screamed loudly, and just as Haru reached the sliding doors, they slammed and latched shut. Shiori tried opening them, but they would not open. She tried slamming her body into them, but she was not a strong person and did not weigh much at all; all it accomplished was making her body sore.

"HARU!" she screamed.

Haru turned around to look in the classroom and saw a shadowy figure in the middle of the room. He pressed his back against the door, scared beyond anything he had ever felt before. The figure moved closer to him.

"_What did I tell you about being late to my class? One more time, and what did I say I would do?" _

"I... I've never been to your class," Haru stammered.

"_I told you that I would not go easy on you, didn't I?"_

Suddenly, one of the desks shot up from the floor and slammed into the ceiling.

"_I don't appreciate it when students think they can be late to my class and get away with it." _

Haru's heart was beating out of his chest, and his ears were ringing. The smoke around the figure dissipated, and a woman appeared in its place. She was a small woman, but due to her ghostly appearance, he could not tell what she really looked like, other than utterly infuriated.

"I-I'm sorry!" Haru yelled out in horror. "I promise I'll never be late to your class again!"

"_Every student says that. Oh, but they never learn. The next day, they are late again, and they don't give it a second thought. I've had enough! I'll show them that I mean what I say! Just because I'm a student-teacher doesn't mean I can just be walked on!" _

She reached out to Haru, who jumped to the side and ran to the other side of the room. She turned around and cut her eyes at him.

"_Don't play games with me, you little punk!" _

The shadows returned around the figure, and a desk shot toward Haru, who ran out of its way. He continued to dodge the desks as they slammed into the walls behind him. He ran to the door and tried to pull on it, but it still would not open. He felt a hand grasp his shoulder, which caused him to cry out.

"_You'll never be late again."_

He felt himself being thrown across the room. His body slammed against the wall, and everything went dark. Outside, Shiori kept pulling on the door. Finally, she heard it unlock, and she slid it to the side. She ran into the room, terrified to find Hideki's body slumped on the floor. She hurried to him-

"_Another late student?"_

She looked to see the same apparition that Hideki had seen. She wanted to scream, but she swallowed it and remained outwardly calm. She had heard the entire conversation outside and decided to try reason with the vengeful ghost.

"I apologize, ma'am, but I am not a student of yours. I'm from Class 3-A."

"_Oh, I see."_

"Right. I'm a hall monitor, and I saw him wandering the hallways after class had begun. I'm going to take him to the principal so that he can get his punishment."

"_Good, good. See to it."_

The ghost faded away, and the room no longer felt like it had. Shiori could not believe her lies worked. She knelt to Hideki, who had blood coming from his head. Her heart beat incredibly fast, and she felt a lump rise in her throat.

"Hideki?" she called. He did not open his eyes. She bit her lip and pushed back her tears. "Hideki, wake up. She's gone."

His eyes remained closed. Shiori started crying.

"Shi?"

She looked at Hideki to see that he was trying to open his eyes.

"Hideki!" Shiori cried out. She latched her arms around his neck as he finally opened his eyes. He looked at Shiori to see tears flowing down her face.

"What the heck are you crying for?"

"Because I thought she had killed you, stupid!" Shiori wept. Haru then felt awful. Shiori had been right; this room needed to be avoided. He ignored her and went anyway, and that nearly got him killed. He exhaled and hugged her gently.

"I'm fine, silly. She just knocked me out, is all. Now, come on. Let's get out of here, okay?"

"Can you stand?" Shiori asked. Haru rose to his feet.

"Yeah, looks like I'm in one piece. Come on."

They exited the room and entered the hallway. They decided to keep looking around, and if they did not find anything else to return to the second floor and try looking around there. Haru's head was killing him, and Shiori tore off a piece of her skirt so that he could wipe the blood off. No matter what, they still had to walk- no matter how tired, how hungry, or how thirsty- they had to keep moving. As long as they continued moving, they would continue living.


	4. Something to Hope For

Hideki and Reika continued to make their way around the school, meeting both benevolent and malevolent spirits. At first, Reika could not seem to stop weeping tears of utmost fear; however, by now, she would try her best to swallow the tears and press on. She knew that Hideki was scared as well and was hiding it to assure her sanity and safety, and she decided to make an effort to be a little braver so he would not have to worry about her as much. On the other hand, she could and would not bring herself to release Hideki's arm, even when they were forced to flee from malicious ghosts. Hideki knew what he had to do: he had to stay alive, not for his sake but for Reika's. Little by little, the pieces of the school's tragic and horrific story were coming together. Whenever Hideki would uncover a bit of the truth, he would try to hide it from his sister; however, Reika was not dull and would soon figure it out herself.

As they passed by a classroom, Hideki thought he heard a voice inside the room. He decided to walk back to the classroom, despite Reika's protests. He informed her that perhaps it was one of their friends in the room, and that he had to see. He slowly slid the door open, unsure what he would find. Once the door was open, he could see a boy his age crouched down, looking at something that was not visible to Hideki and Reika at the time. Hideki and his sister were just thrilled to see someone else alive.

"Excuse me," Hideki called.

The boy turned and looked at the two. He smiled sadly and rose to his feet. What he had been crouched at now came to view. Reika screamed and buried her face in Hideki's torso. The mangled body of a young girl was there. Hideki, horrified, forced himself to swallow his cry of shock in order to prevent Reika from completely losing herself.

"Wh-what happened to her?" he asked, unable to hide the shakiness in his voice.

"I got here too late," the boy quietly replied. "We were separated earlier… we had to run away from a ghost, and I lost her… and when I finally found her…"

"We're so sorry," Hideki sympathized. "Are you all right?"

"In a manner of speaking," the boy answered. "I've not been harmed, if that is what you are asking." He looked at Reika, who still had her face buried in Hideki's torso. "I'm so sorry you are trapped here, little one."

Reika did not look at him, or even turn her head.

"Sadly, there is nothing we can do for her," the boy spoke. "Let's just leave…"

Hideki nodded, and they exited the room and into the hallway. Reika finally stepped away from her brother to get a better look at the boy. He was about the same size as Hideki, perhaps slightly taller and bulkier. He had thick, shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes. His nose was somewhat crooked; it had probably been broken once or twice. He wore gray khakis, black penny-loafers, and a white button-up dress shirt. Something about his appearance was really unsettling to Reika; however, Hideki did not seem to find anything wrong or suspicious with the boy, so she did not ask questions.

The boy slid the door shut behind him and smiled at them.

"Name's Shinji Minako."

"Hideki Takahashi. This is my little sister, Reika."

"Am I happy to see someone else actually alive in this place!" Shinji said with undeniable happiness. "Once Tomoe passed, I thought I would…"

"You're with us now," Hideki smiled. "We'll stick together and get outta here. All right?"

Shinji nodded.

"So, Tomoe was her name?" Reika timidly asked Shinji.

"Yes. Tomoe Usagi," Shinji sorrowfully replied. "She was a much cherished friend…"

"Well, the only thing you can do now is to keep going," Reika whispered. "I know she wants you to live and to keep her in your memory."

Shinji smiled warmly at Reika. "Thank you, child."

Reika could not help but smile back. She decided her first impressions of Shinji were misguided. He seemed to be a very nice person.

"We should keep moving," Hideki suggested.

As they pressed on, Shinji spoke of the other friends that had came to the school with him: Misao Urashi (whom he seemed to have romantic feelings for by the way he spoke of her), Shinta Kimamura, and Aoshi Imasasi. The only one that accompanied him was Tomoe; the others, he had yet to find. Hideki spoke of his friends that were lost within the school, wandering in the separate dimensions. The word "dimension" perplexed and angered Shinji.

"Dimensions? How the hell is that even possible?"

"We don't know, but if you're looking at what can be deemed possible here, don't waste your time," Hideki sighed.

"Indeed," Shinji agreed. All at once, he stopped walking.

"What is-"

"Shh," Shinji interrupted Reika. "Hear that?"

Hideki and Reika listened. In the room beside them, they could hear the faint notes of a piano. With wordless communication, the hope of finding one of their own filled their hearts. Shinji slid open the door, and the moment he did, the music became choppy, and the notes were in no particular melody. The room was very dimly lit, and Reika instantly felt an ominous spirit of some sort. As Hideki followed Shinji into the room, she gave a gentle tug on his arm. He stopped and glanced down at her.

"What is it, Reika?"

"Don't…" she shakily begged. Hideki smiled warmly at her.

"What if it is one of our friends, Rei?"

"Then let them come to us," Reika argued.

"Reika, I'll be fine. If you want, you can stay right here. Okay?"

Hideki slid his arm out of Reika's grasp, and he and Shinji entered the room. The music became more chaotic the further they intruded into the room. When they finally reached the piano, the music abruptly stopped. No one was there, but the keys were covered in blood. Shinji noticed that a large amount of blood was dripping from the piano. He glanced at Hideki, who shook his head.

"But what if it's one of your friends? Or mine?" Shinji asked, his voice quivering. Hideki bit his lip. What if it was? Then what? How could he tell Reika that someone they knew and loved had been killed and stuffed into a piano? He knew Shinji was right, so they prepared themselves. They then opened the piano, look inside…

"Oh, thank God," Shinji exhaled.

"It's none of them," Hideki said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

In the piano was the body of a fourteen-year-old boy. His eyes were still open and transfixed in an agonizing death. He had been repeatedly stabbed by something, and on his arms were defensive wounds. It was hard discerning how many times the poor boy had been stabbed. Shinji looked at the boy to find a nametag: Shinobu Mochizuki.

"What do we do?" Shinji asked. "Do we just leave him here?"

"We have to," Hideki sadly replied. They slowly closed the piano and caught their breaths. After a moment, Hideki turned to Shinji.

"Shinji?"

"Yes?"

Hideki bit his lip again. "Please… don't tell Reika what we saw in here."

Shinji looked at Hideki and smiled reassuringly. "I won't speak a word of it."

"Thank you," Hideki smiled back. "I'm curious though. Who was playing the piano? Did you-"

"See anyone? No."

"Brother?" they heard Reika nervously call.

"We're coming," Hideki called back.

"You must really care about your sister," Shinji stated. Hideki nodded.

"Of course I do," he said. "Let's go back, okay? I don't want to leave her alone for long."

They exited the piano room to find Reika waiting for them in the hallway. The very second they slid the door shut to the room, the music resumed. Reika asked them if anyone was in the room, to which they honestly replied that there was not. She sighed sadly, but they encouraged her that they would find someone and to not give up hope. However, not losing hope was a task all of its own. They lost track of how long they had been walking. Before long, they found a room full of lockers and showers, and outside was a pool. They walked outside to find the rain pouring, the fog intense, and the wind was fierce. The pool was fully of water that was appallingly disgusting. They stood still for a moment and tried to see through the fog, wondering what was on the other side of the pool.

"I can't see past the fog," Shinji spoke.

"Neither can I. Let's see if there is something on the other side of the pool," Hideki suggested. Reika caught onto his arm again.

"No, brother!" she cried out. "I don't like it here! I'm not going!"

"Reika-"

"No!" Reika shouted, drawing away from her brother.

Hideki sighed with minor impatience. He had to see what was beyond the fog; a whole other annex could lie there. His friends could be wandering in the halls, and unless he went, he would never know. He looked at Shinji, who seemed to understand.

"Shinji, will you wait here with her?" he asked.

"Will do," Shinji agreed.

"No! Brother, let's go back!"

"Reika, listen to me," Hideki began, "I have to look for my friends. If that means going to dangerous places, then I'm going to. I'll come back if it's too dangerous, all right?"

Reika quickly shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. Hideki smiled reassuringly at her and rubbed the top of her head. He then glanced at Shinji with seriousness and nodded. He walked forward, Reika and Shinji watching him until he disappeared beyond the fog.

Hideki slowly walked onward, since his visibility was limited due to the fog. He stopped for a moment and looked back, only to see fog. His heart raced; would Reika be all right without him for just a couple of minutes? He trusted Shinji would look after her, but if something happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself. His thoughts were then interrupted when he felt something clench his pant leg. He looked down at the edge of the pool to see a rotted, slimy hand protruding from the water's surface and gripping his pant leg. Pulling itself out of the water was the gooey body of perhaps a teenage girl. The smile on her face alone was horrifying, but her presence sent a jolt of fear through Hideki that was so sudden, he had no time to scream. She drew closer and closer to him, rising out of the water…

Reika and Shinji stood at the same spot, waiting for Hideki to return. It had been some time, and they were becoming increasingly worried about him. Reika wrung her hands together, and Shinji fidgeted. Then, out of the fog, they heard Hideki's voice.

"I don't want to see anymore…"

The statement was monotonous, as if he had become disconnected. Reika gasped and took one step forward- they heard a splash in the pool. Reika cried out, and she and Shinji ran forward to the spot Hideki had once stood. There were ripples in the water, indicating their fears. Reika looked up at Shinji, who shook his head in terror.

"I-I can't swim!" he stammered. Reika could, and very well. She swallowed hard, petrified at what she had to do. She had no idea what was in that water, but she had to save her brother. She dove into the pool and began to swim and grope until she felt herself clasp onto a hand. She swam upward, pulling as she went. When she surfaced, she pulled up the person, elated to see that it was her brother. She looked up, expecting to see Shinji there to help, but he was nowhere to be seen. She found a ladder and climbed up, pulling Hideki with her. She laid him flat on the ground and listened to see if he was breathing…

"No!" she panicked. "Brother, don't!"

She noticed deep, dark bruises in the shape of hands on Hideki's throat as well as bloody claw marks on his face (he had tried to fight off whatever it was that had him), but she did not pay that much mind. She began her efforts to resuscitate her brother. Tears began to roll down her face, and just as she was about to give up, Hideki sputtered. She rolled him on his side and let him regurgitate the water from his lungs. He inhaled sharply at first, but in moments, his breathing steadied. He sat up and looked at Reika, surprised to see her wet.

"R-Reika?"

"I told you not to go!" she sobbed as she threw her arms around him. "I almost lost you!"

Hideki averted his eyes away from his sister. He felt horrible for scaring her so. He recalled the face of the girl who had pulled him under. Her body, her face… he did not want to see it… He shook his head and examined his sister.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"STOP WORRYING ABOUT ME!" Reika screamed. "You almost died, brother!"

"I know," Hideki said quietly. "I know… I'm sorry, Reika."

He consoled her for a moment. He then realized that Shinji was missing. He asked Reika about him, to which she replied that he was gone when she resurfaced from saving Hideki. Hideki rose to his feet and began to call for Shinji, but to no avail. He and Reika then made their way back to the shower room to see if perhaps he had gone inside.

"No…" Hideki moaned.

"Sh-Shinji?" Reika whimpered.

Sitting on the floor with his back propped up on the wall was a badly wounded Shinji. Stab wounds were all over his body, and his clothes and hair were drenched in blood. He stared at the ceiling, his eyes void of emotion and thought. Hideki made his way over to him and knelt down in front of him.

"Shinji?" he called.

Shinji took his eyes off the ceiling and focused them on Hideki. He smiled weakly. "You're alive…"

"Yeah," Hideki nodded.

"She… came after Reika jumped in to save you," Shinji spoke. "That little girl… Sachiko…"

"Don't worry about that," Hideki said. Shinji was dying. His final thoughts should not be focused on the vengeful spirit who had so ruthlessly taken his life. Hideki felt so helpless now, for he knew the only he could do was to make Shinji's death as worry-free as possible.

Shinji's eyes filled with tears. "I… I'm scared, Hideki…"

Hideki moved to where he was beside Shinji and put his arm around him. Shinji laid his head on Hideki's shoulder, his blood getting on Hideki's shirt. Reika took a step closer to them, now sorry she had ever thought so badly about Shinji when they had first met.

Hideki smiled tenderly at Shinji in order to erase his fears. "It's all right, Shinji."

"What… about my family… my friends?"

"When I see them, I'll tell them how nice you were to my sister and me," Hideki said. "I won't tell them about this."

The tears escaped from Shinji's eyes and rolled down his cheeks, mixing in with his blood. "…Promise?"

"I promise."

Shinji twitched slightly. "I… have so many… things I want to do…" He closed his eyes. "At least… I'm not dying alone… Not like Tomoe did…"

"That's right," Hideki said. "I'll be here, all right? I'm not going anywhere."

Reika had made it to where she was beside Shinji. She knelt down and held gently onto his hand. He smiled at this but lightly squeezed her hand. He did not move anymore after that. Reika leaned forward and felt for a pulse and listened for breathing. Her tears gave Hideki his answer: Shinji was gone. On his face was still the smile that Hideki and Reika had given him in his dying breaths. After ten or so minutes, Hideki and Reika rose to their feet. They did not want to leave Shinji in this horrible place, but in order to survive, they had to keep moving. Reika reached and held onto Hideki's arm, her hand covered in Shinji's blood. Hideki's shoulder was now stained with Shinji's blood as well. Before they shut the door behind them, they took one last glance at Shinji and hoped that his spirit would not be tormented like most of the ones that had lost their lives here. They hoped that because they had given him a worry-less death that his spirit would not be vengeful or in agony. That was all they could hope for.


	5. The Deep End

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Ayame screamed.

After hours of aimlessly wandering around the hallways of the school, Ayame and Anju had found what seemed to be the splattered body of a girl on the wall. Without realizing it, they had returned to the hallway which the infirmary was located to find this gruesome scene. They could tell it was a girl due to the bra that was lying in a bloody mess on the floor. Intestines, blood, and other human parts were spattered on the wall and floor. The wall was caved in due to the force the poor soul had been slammed against it. The smell of blood was so immense that it made Ayame sick.

Anju and Ayame felt an undeniable sense of sadness in the area. While they were terrified beyond belief at the sight of this grisly death, they could not seem to look away from it. They looked down the hallway in the direction of the infirmary. Could it have been the same spirit that had possessed Ayame? The same spirit had given Ayame the strength to pick Anju up off the ground and throw her like a ragdoll out of the room. They saw a nametag on the floor next to the wall, and reluctantly Anju picked it up and read the name through the blood that covered it: Mayu Suzumoto. Ayame could not refrain herself, and she ran to the side and threw up. Anju was surprised she did not do the same, but she was too saddened. Ayame wiped off her mouth and did not look back at Anju.

"Anju… please… let's go."

"I wonder what happened to her?..."

"I don't know, but I really don't want to stay around here anymore, okay? Let's go."

Anju knew Ayame was about to lose it, so she turned and limped to her friend. "Okay."

They continued down the hallway, and when they reached the doors to the infirmary, they heard a still, small voice call out to them.

"_Can I… talk to you for a moment?" _

The girls froze, but it was only a moment before Ayame started to walk away. Anju stayed, and when Ayame saw this, she made a whimper and walked back to her. Anju took a glance at her and noticed she had tears in her eyes. Ayame really wanted to leave, but the voice that called out to them sounded so sad that Anju could not ignore it. She turned to the door to see the ghost of a girl in front of her. The girl had short hair (colors were not distinguishable since she had a ghostly appearance) that had a small ponytail tied up on the side with a hairbow that had two balls on it. She had a short skirt and a long sleeved shirt. She appeared to still hold her innocence, and she looked very young.

"_I need to tell you something…" _

"Anything," Anju softly spoke. Something about this spirit made her want to be kind to it. The spirit's presence brought a sense of calm to Anju.

"_That girl on the wall… is me." _

Anju looked back at the bloodiness on the wall and floor then looked back at the apparition that was in front of her.

"Mayu Suzumoto?" she asked. Mayu nodded. Anju and Ayame were stunned. "What happened to you?"

"_I thought I could save them," _Mayu forlornly began. _"I had them smiling and laughing again…"_

"Who?"

"_Those three little children…"_

"The ones who were killed by the principle's son?" Anju questioned.

"_Yes… Ryou Yoshizawa, Tokiko Tsuji, and Yuki Kanno." _

"You learned their names," Ayame whispered.

"_They told them to me,"_ Mayu retorted honestly. _"They're really nice children… just… they don't understand…"_

"You mean… you talked to them without them trying to harm you?" Ayame asked, disbelief in her tone. Mayu turned her attention to Ayame and smiled warmly at her.

"_Yes," _she replied honestly. _"Those poor children… all they want is to be free, but it will never happen for them. Their souls are forever stuck here… just as mine…" _

"Did… did they kill you, Mayu?" Anju whispered.

Mayu closed her eyes, as if she did not want to remember. _"Something happened. My friends had found a doll the principle's son had left… the doll began to apologize for what had happened to the children, and at first, everything was all right… but… I'm not sure what happened next… All I remember is being slammed against the wall over and over…"_ All at once, Mayu's eyes shot open, and she lifted her hands to her head. Her calm demeanor quickly diminished, fear replacing it. _"Stop it! Stop it! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" _she screamed.

"M-Mayu?" Ayame called, intimidated by Mayu's sudden change of behavior.

"_Let me go! It hurts! It hurts! I don't want to die!"_ Mayu continued to scream. She then collapsed to her knees on the floor, her hands still on her head and her eyes still wide in the utmost, unimaginable fear as she recollected the agonizing final moments of her short life. _"Shig! Help me! Save me!"_

"Mayu!" Anju sharply called, hoping it would bring her back to her senses.

Mayu stopped crying and screaming. She fell back on her bottom and brought her knees up to her chest. She began to rock back and forth. _"Shigure… I didn't want to die… not like that…" _She turned her attention to the two girls, an eerie appearance on her face. _"I did not want him to see me that way. I did not want him to take my picture." _

Anju and Ayame gasped, both repulsed by what Mayu had just said. Shigure, apparently her friend and perchance love interest, and taken a picture of her remains either by a camera or cell phone. Why? Why would someone want to take a picture of something so gruesome? Mayu's demeanor changed, and she was back to her kindhearted self. She rose to her feet and looked at Anju and Ayame with sadness in her eyes. The two felt sorry for her. She had tried to help those children but was mercilessly and brutally killed for her efforts. Mayu held her hands together and smiled at them.

"_Don't let what happened to me get you down, okay? I'm sure you'll be able to help them and get out of here."_ Ayame nodded and Anju smiled back. _"Now, go. Search for your friends and survive together."_ Anju and Ayame looked at Mayu, reluctant to leave her. Mayu giggled sadly and crossed her arms. _"Don't worry about leaving me. There's really nothing you can do for me. I'm all right." _Still reluctant, the two started to do as Mayu asked and walk away. "Um_… one last thing,"_ they heard Mayu speak. They turned and looked at her, ready to listen. _"…If you see Shig… please… tell him to stop taking pictures of the poor souls who have died. Tell him… tell him Mayu said." _

Anju smiled warmly at Mayu. "We will. Promise."

"_Thank you,"_ Mayu smiled.

Anju and Ayame left the area with newfound resolve. They did not want their friends to suffer like Mayu. One foot in front of the other… down the hallways… past the dead bodies. To keep their minds in balance, they would joke and laugh about their friends and the good times.

Their laughter can to an abrupt halt when they came upon a girl wielding a pair of scissors, blood-drenched and laughing darkly. At her feet laid another girl, drenched in blood as well. One of her eyes was no longer in its socket but stuck on the pair of scissors the assaulter held. Her face was unrecognizable, and her neck was sliced open. Other than the defensive wounds on her arms, there were no wounds on her chest or torso. Horrified, Anju and Ayame started to quietly sneak in one of the classrooms to wait for the girl to walk away, but the girl turned to them, a deranged appearance on her blood-spattered face. The pupils in her eyes were as small as pinheads.

"They said so! They said she would try!" she cackled. "That two-faced bitch! I always wondered where she hid her hideous face!"

"Wh-why did you do this?" Ayame asked, her voice breaking from fear.

"Why?" The girl twirled the pair of scissors around her fingers. "They said she would try to kill me. They were right! Who acts so nice and brave all the time in a place like this? I'll tell you who! This two-faced BITCH!" At this statement, she kicked the fallen girl as hard as she could. Anju and Ayame cried out in shock at the girl's brutality. The girl put her hands on her hips and smiled awkwardly. "'Don't be scared, Shizu!' 'Don't cry, Shizu! I'll protect you!' 'You can rely on me, Shizu!'" she said, mocking her deceased "friend." She then spit on the body. "You lying whore!" She returned her attention to Anju and Ayame. "You two friends?" Before they could answer, Shizu laughed. "You'll kill each other! One of you is a LIAR!" She gripped the scissors tighter and laughed louder, her voice cracking.

All at once, she stopped laughing and gasped. She looked around, a bewildered appearance on her face. Anju and Ayame, holding each other's hands in pure fright, stood still, confused at what had just happened to Shizu. Shizu continued to look around. She looked at her clothes and screamed when she saw the blood.

"What is this?"

Anju and Ayame thought that perhaps she had either lost her mind for a brief moment or had been possessed, and that was when she had murdered her friend. Shizu looked at the scissors in her hand and screamed again when she saw the eyeball that was stuck on the end of it.

"What the hell is that? Is that an _eye_?" She dropped the scissors, and the eyeball rolled off and behind her. When she turned around, she screamed even louder when she saw her friend lying dead. "Who...?" She looked at the nametag and covered her mouth, stunned. "K-Kameko?" She started shaking and hyperventilating. "No… no… did I… this blood…" She looked back at Anju and Ayame. "Did I do this?"

Anju and Ayame did not respond. They knew that no matter what they said, the damage was done. Their silence was Shizu's answer. She started screaming over and over, her head in her hands. She fell back on the floor and continued to scream so loudly, it made Anju's and Ayame's blood freeze. Then, they saw her grab the pair of scissors from the floor. Before Anju could react, Ayame reacted first. She ran to Shizu and grabbed her hand, trying to force the scissors out of her grasp.

"Let me go!"

"Drop the scissors, and I will!"

Shizu, in her fit of undeniable rage, was stronger than Ayame. She jerked her arm, her hand flying out of Ayame's grasp. The scissors sliced against Ayame's arm and cut deep in her skin, which caused her to reel back with a cry. Shizu sat up in held the scissors toward Anju and Ayame.

"S-stay back!" she warned.

"Shizu, stop! Killing yourself won't bring Kameko back," Anju firmly spoke.

"She was my sister!" Shizu screamed. "I killed my sister!" Anju and Ayame froze again. Shizu had not killed her friend, but her sister. Shizu wept bitter tears. She held the scissors in front of her face. "Kameko… I made you feel so much pain…"

Anju and Ayame closed their eyes as Shizu gouged her eye out with the scissors. Her screams of agonizing pain filled their ears that even when they covered them, they could still be heard. When they opened their eyes, Shizu was lying on the floor, writhing and screaming as she continued to stab herself with the scissors. Even through her screams, they could hear the scissors breaking into her skin with each stab. Finally, her shrieks ceased, as did her life. Anju and Ayame stood still, not able to believe what they had just witnessed. Why had they stayed? Why did they just stand there and watch someone take their own life? What seemed to be hours passed before they came to their senses. Anju examined Ayame's arm and tore off a piece of her skirt to dress the wound. Unable to do anything else, they quietly left the area, their bodies and minds still in shock.

One foot in front of the other…


	6. Encounter

_Haru opened his eyes, the dim light of the room filling them as he felt something being tied onto his wrist. He looked to the side to see Shiori with a smile on her face as she continued to tie the royal blue ribbon around his wrist. Just moments before, the two had made love for the first time since their relationship began, and to the both of them, it meant something that words could not express. Even now, Shiori was beautiful, and he wondered how he had managed to win her heart. Haru sat up, confused as to why she was doing this. _

"_Um, Shiori, what are you doing?"_

"_What does it look like I'm doing?" Shiori retorted jokingly._

"_Well, you're obviously tying a ribbon around my wrist, but I'm not exactly sure why." _

_Shiori giggled as she finished tying the knot. "If you must know, it's a charm."_

_Haru leaned his head to the side, still confused. "A… charm? What for?"_

_Shiori's cheeks turned red as she bit her lip. "Tonight is… special."_

_Haru smiled as she reached over and brushed back Shiori's bangs. "Yes, it is."_

"_This charm is supposed to preserve what was felt…" Shiori timidly whispered. Haru laughed. Shiori loved his laugh. It always cheered her up to hear it. Haru took her hands into his and looked into her eyes._

"_Who needs a charm?" he asked. "How about this: this ribbon will be a promise. A promise that no matter what, I'll be there. I'll protect you, come to your aid, and love you. As long as this is on my wrist, the promise will remain."_

_Shiori smiled again. She kissed Haru and leaned onto his bare chest. He rubbed her bare back gently while she listened to his heartbeat that not too long before seemed to be beating out of his chest, just as hers was. _

"_It's a promise," she softly spoke. _

Haru opened his eyes, relieved to see that Shiori was still asleep in his lap. They found an old storage room, and once they felt safe, they fell asleep. Haru's head was not hurting anymore, but the area around the gash on the back of his head was tender to the touch. He gave Shiori a gentle squeeze, still sorry for the incident with the angry ghost teacher. He looked down at his wrist to see that the ribbon was on securely. He sighed deeply and glanced around the room. Here… still in this hellish place, where the dead outnumbered the living. Why did they have to do that charm? Why did he let Shiori convince him to do it?

It was for him.

He shook his head, trying to get the thought out of his mind; however, it still lingered. If it had not been for him… if it had not been for that day…

Weeping? Was Shiori crying in her sleep? Haru looked down to see that she was all right, but the weeping continued. He looked around the room, trying to find who or what it was that was crying. Shiori stirred and sat up, awaking from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes then froze when she heard the sobs. She locked her eyes onto Haru's eyes, and he could plainly see fear. They stood up, ready to run if they had to. On the other hand, no apparition appeared. Not knowing what else to do, they exited to storage room. Out in the hallway, Shiori seemed to be upset about something, and before Haru could ask, she began to speak.

"Now what do we do?" she asked. Haru shook his head.

"We just keep walking and searching."

Shiori visibly became agitated. "We've been doing that! That and running or hiding!" She stamped her foot down in a small tantrum. "I've had enough! I don't want to do this anymore!"

"Shiori!" Haru firmly called as she grabbed her shoulders. She avoided his gaze, but he did not look away from her. "We don't have a choice. It's either keep doing what we have been or die."

Shiori pushed Haru away from here, seemingly becoming more upset by the second. "If you hadn't been so miserable, we wouldn't be here right now!" So, she blamed him as well. Haru, stunned by her remark, took a step back. Shiori crossed her arms, still angry, but Haru remained calm.

"…You know…" he whispered, "I think being sad about the anniversary of my mom's death is appropriate…"

"My dad died too, Haru. I don't dwell on it," Shiori snapped.

Haru raised his hands, trying to tell her to ease off. He gathered she was just tired, for he was as well, and he did not want to argue with her. That was the last thing they needed to do. "Fair enough. I'm sorry."

Shiori sighed in annoyance. "I think I need some space right now."

Haru shook his head. "Well, tough. I'm not leaving you alone in this place."

"Then I'll leave!" Shiori yelled. She stormed off into a classroom. Haru tried to follow her so that they could sort this out, but she slid the door firmly shut in his face. Haru bit his lip, saddened by the way Shiori was treating him. Maybe if he gave her just a moment to cool down, she would realize her mistake and they would make up.

"_You see? They all turn on you in the end,"_ he heard a little girl speak behind him. He turned around, just in time to avoid being bludgeoned by a large hammer. Sachiko, along with the principal's son Yoshikazu Yanagihori, stood before him. He wondered if Sachiko's dress was actually red or if it was stained with blood. Her long black hair draped over her face, and her skin was gray. Yoshikazu's eyes seemed to be bleeding, and his skin was also gray like Sachiko's. His clothes were stained with blood of others and perhaps his own. Haru could feel his heart's pace quicken in fear as he stared at the cold smile on Sachiko's face. He knew he could not run away and leave Shiori behind, but if he stayed…

Yoshikazu swung his hammer again and Haru, who ducked to avoid it. Yoshikazu swung once more, and Haru managed to dodge it yet again; however, he did not see the fist coming toward his face, and soon after, he saw nothing. Yoshikazu picked up Haru's leg, ready to drag him away.

"_Wait,"_ Sachiko ordered. She reached down and removed the ribbon from around Haru's wrist. _"Now, you can have your fun."_

Yoshikazu, at Sachiko's orders, drug Haru away. Sachiko grinned as she looked at the ribbon. She opened the door to the classroom to find Shiori standing at a window, her back facing her.

"Haru, I'm really sorry. I don't know what came-" She turned around and cried out when she saw Sachiko, then gasped when she saw Haru's ribbon in her hand. She wanted to run, but she wanted to know why the little girl had Haru's ribbon. There was no way Haru would just give that up so easily. "Where… did you get that?"

"_You really are stupid," _Sachiko insulted. _"First, you hurt the one person in your life that has always been there for you, then you ask an idiotic question such as that."_

Anger and fear boiled in Shiori's blood. Sachiko was toying with her. "If you did anything-"

"_You'll what? Hmm? Do enlighten me." _

Shiori felt a lump rise in her throat. Sachiko was right. What could she do? Sachiko, laughing in mockery of Shiori's pain, threw the ribbon to the floor as the ultimate sign of disrespect. She walked away and laughed again as she slid the door shut. Shiori walked to the ribbon and picked it up, tears rolling down her face. However, her sadness was soon replaced by determination. She was going to find Haru.

Haru opened his eyes, once again his head pulsing. He glanced around the room and was horrified that he had no idea where he was. He sat up and realized he was lying on top of something. He looked down and repressed a scream; he was on a table stained with blood. He quickly jumped off the table and looked around the room again. There was a closet that seemed misplaced for the room. There were buckets all around, but he decided that he did not need to pay those any mind. Whatever was in them, he knew it was not going to be pleasant. There was one thing he was certain on- he had to get out of there. Wherever Yoshikazu had taken him, he was more than likely going to kill him. Haru wasted no time. He ran out of the room and down the hallway. He took a turn and bumped into someone, nearly losing his balance. He looked up to see who it was he had clashed with.

"SHIT!" he screamed. Yoshikazu raised his hammer and lowered down, but Haru dodged it. He reached for Haru, but he ran by him and continued to run, not really knowing where he was going. He paid no mind to the corpses he ran by- his fight senses had kicked in, and he knew Shiori was alone. Head pulsing, heart pounding, his body screaming, he sprinted as hard and fast as he could.

Shiori slowly walked down the hallway, wringing her hands in fear. Alone. She walked on, wanting to find Haru unharmed. She felt horrible for the awful things she had said to him. Terrible thoughts entered her mind, all having to do with finding Haru dead. _No,_ she told herself, _think about something else. You'll find him, and he'll be okay._ She then realized how much she depended on Haru. He had always kept a smile on his face, even when… She bit lip so hard, it bled; she was angry at herself. Even on that day, the day which was the anniversary of his mother's death, he kept a smile on his face. Shiori, knowing him better than anyone, knew he was sad and had heard that the Sachiko Ever After charm was to bring happiness. She brought out her piece of the doll and clenched it. It was her fault. She remembered the smile on Haru's face when all of his friends came to "wish him happiness." She put the piece of the doll back in her pocket. She wanted to see that smile again, and not the fake ones he did for her so that she would stay calm. She knew what he was doing.

All at once, she saw a flash further down the hallway. Curious, she made her way to find where it came from. She was shocked to find the source. Knelt down in front of a mutilated body was Sakutaro Morishige, cell phone in hand. The look of utter glee that was on his face horrified Shiori. She did not know whether to ask him questions or simply run. However, Morishige noticed she was there and turned his attention toward her. The glee that was on his face instantly transformed to seriousness as he closed his cell phone.

"And who might you be?" he asked. Shiori said nothing and took a step back. Morishige rose to his full height and crossed his arms. "Rude, aren't we?"

"M-my name is Shiori."

"That's better," Morishige nodded. "I'm Morishige." Shiori inhaled sharply. She looked at the cell phone that was in his hand. He realized she was looking at it, so he put it in his pocket. "Are you alone?"

"I'm… looking for someone," Shiori replied. "We were separated."

"Tragic," Morishige monotonously said.

"Are you alone?" Shiori questioned.

"Yes," he replied. "I prefer it that way."

Shiori was taken aback by this statement. Who would want to be alone in this place? "Sure you don't mean that. There has to be someone you care about and are searching for."

"That's really none of your business," Morishige snarled. Shiori took another step back, plainly sensing the hostility from Morishige. Suddenly, his demeanor changed again, and a sly grin took place. "So, you saw, didn't you? That's why you're so apprehensive."

"S-saw what?" Shiori nervously smiled.

Morishige took three steps toward her, and she took three steps back. "Don't play stupid."

"I won't tell anyone," Shiori panicked. "Whatever keeps you sane here-"

"You'll tell her. You'll tell her what you saw."

"Her? I don't know who-"

"I can't have you turn her against me."

"I won't!" Shiori cried out, even though she had no idea who he was talking about. She kept taking steps backward, preparing to run. "I'll just walk away right now, and-"

She tripped over her own feet as she was walking backwards. Before she even hit the floor, Morishige had his hands around her throat. He slammed her on the floor and began to choke her. She started to thrash and kick in effort to have him release her, but he was too strong. "I'm sorry," Morishige sadly spoke, "but I just can't have you tell her…" He sat on top of her and pinned her down as he continued to strangle her. Tears spilled down her cheeks. So… this was how she was going to die…

Suddenly, someone crashed into Morishige, jerking him off her. Gasping and coughing, Shiori felt herself being tossed over her rescuer's shoulder as the person took off running. She looked at Morishige to see that he was lying unconscious on the floor. They went down a flight of stairs, into a hallway, then into a classroom, where the person slid the door shut and gently placed Shiori on the floor. She looked to see who had saved her.

"Haru!" she sobbed as she threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her back then softly pushed her away and tenderly touched her neck, which was already bruising. He then pulled her to him and held her tight.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry about," Shiori wept. "You saved me, just like you promised you would." She saw his left eye was black, and his nose was busted. She assumed it was from where he had tackled Morishige. She took Haru's hands into hers then tied the ribbon back on his wrist. "I'm sorry for everything. Please… don't leave me again…"

After allowing her some time to gather herself, Haru told her what had truly happened to him, once again making her grateful that he was alive and with her. They rose to their feet and left the classroom, Haru holding onto Shiori's hand, determined to never let anyone hurt her again.


	7. Blood-stained Hands

Ever since the incident at the pool and Shinji's death, Hideki and Reika had been silent. Reika loosely held onto Hideki's arm while he chewed on the inside of his mouth- a nervous trait he had. Hideki could not stop thinking about Shinji; it was his fault. If he would have only listened to Reika, then Shinji would still be alive. The smile on Shinji's face as he died would not leave Hideki's mind. While he was glad that Shinji died without any worries, he felt guilty that he was gone. Reika could sense her brother's guilt, and though she wanted to help him, she did not know what to say. She could not bring herself to look at him. The scratches on his face and the bruises on his neck reminded her of how close she was to losing him, and that scared her more than anything. Tears soon filled her eyes, and before she knew it, she was crying again. Hideki stopped walking and hugged his sister, thinking she was only crying for Shinji.

"I'm so sorry, Reika. I think… I think he died happy, you know?"

"It's not that, brother," Reika wept.

Hideki pulled Reika away from him and looked her in the eyes; however, she would not make eye contact with him. She could not look at his face. "What is it, then?"

Reika began to try to wipe her tears away, but they just kept falling. "You… nearly…"

Hideki understood. He sighed then smiled for his sister in effort to calm her. "Reika. Look at me."

"…I can't…"

"Reika," he called again. She finally looked at his face, and it startled her even more. At least two of the scratches were deep enough to where they would scar. The bruising on his neck was a nasty black, and they were vividly in shapes of hands. She tried not to imagine what happened to him in the pool. "I'm alive. I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to leave my little sister alone in this place."

Reika's sobbing decreased, and soon she was only sniffling. Hideki, still smiling, nodded and the two set off again. All at once, the entire school began to shake violently. Reika, with a scream of shock, was knocked off her balance by the force of the shaking. Hideki knelt down to Reika and shielded her with his body in case anything fell. The shaking continued to increase in the severity, and Reika could not refrain from crying loudly from fright. They heard the flooring around them begin to split, and before Hideki could react, the floor beneath him and Reika gave out, and the two fell through.

"_All right! So, are we doing this thing or what?" Shiori grinned. _

_She, Haru, Anju, Ayame, Hideki, and Reika were all at Haru's apartment, standing in the living room. Haru's cousin was at work, and they all had decided to pay Haru a visit after school in efforts to help ease the pain of the anniversary of the loss of his mother. The sun shone brightly through the windows of the apartment; Haru was glad that the sun was out that day. While he put on a good front, everyone knew he missed his mother, who had been deceased half of Haru's life. _

_Haru shifted in his shoes, feeling very uncomfortable. "Shi, are you sure we should be doing this?"_

"_Why not? I researched this, and there are supposedly no ill-effects."_

_Haru crossed his arms. "I don't know. I'm not sure I'm okay with this." _

_Shiori playfully punched his shoulder, giggling as she did. "Come on, Haru! It's a charm to bring happiness!"_

"_But, I am happy," Haru smiled. "I've got you, and some pretty good friends to boot." Shiori put her hands on her hips and stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. Haru sighed. "Okay, okay. We'll do the charm."_

"_Thank you!" Shiori beamed. "I'll get everything together!"_

_As she began to assemble what was needed for the charm, Hideki walked up to Haru and put a hand on his shoulder. Haru looked at Hideki and realized he was lucky to have him as a friend. Hideki had been through so much with him, and even was bullied because he stood up for him. It was because of Hideki that he had the friends which were in the room with him. They had all known Hideki, and he introduced them to him, with the exception of Shiori that is. If it had not been for his friends, Haru more than likely would not have stayed in school. He would have dropped out, and after that, he was not sure what would have become of him. _

_Hideki smiled at Haru. "I've seen you endure a lot, friend, but you overcame everything, despite what everyone thought."_

"_That's right," Reika agreed. "We're proud of you." _

"_Guys…" Haru sighed, humbled by their kind words. "You don't have to cheer me up. I promise you, I'm fine."_

"_We know," Anju spoke, "but we just wanted to let you know what we think of you, is all." _

_Haru could not refrain from grinning. Indeed, he had some amazing friends. Shiori finished her preparations and had the friends get in a small circle. Hideki looked at Anju, and when she saw that he was staring at her, she locked her eyes onto his. He smiled at her, which caused her to blush. Shiori inhaled then exhaled and clapped her hands together._

"_Okay! Let's get this started!"_

Hideki slowly opened his eyes, his whole body aching from the fall. It took a moment before his eyes would focus, and once they did, he was surprised to see that they had fallen only to the first floor. He tried to sit up, but the area began to spin, so he chose to wait briefly. After some time, he sat up, able to take a better look around. His heart began to race, and he jumped to his feet.

Reika was nowhere to be seen.

"Reika?" he called. She did not respond. "Reika!"

He could not breathe. Did she fall elsewhere? Did someone or something take her? He took off running down the hallway in search of his sister. He hoped that she was unharmed, and if someone had found her that they were still sane and helping her.

"Hey. Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Reika could hear a girl asking her questions. She opened her eyes to see a girl about Hideki's age kneeling to her, a concerned appearance on her face. The girl had long dark brown hair and big midnight-blue eyes, and her nose was a tad longer than normal. Her attire was black skinny jeans that were tucked into black boots that went up below her knees, and a gray leather jacket with a white shirt underneath. The girl started examining Reika in order to discern if she had any injuries before Reika could respond. Reika glanced around her surroundings, unsure where she was. It did not take her long to discover that Hideki was not by her side, and she immediately tried to get up so that she could look for him. The girl, however, stopped her from doing so and made her sit down.

"Now, hold on. I'm not through checking you out yet," the girl said. "By the way, I'm Tsukiyama Koruba."

"Reika… Takahashi…" Reika introduced through panicked breathing. "My brother… where…"

Tsukiyama quickly discerned she was having a panic attack and began to rub her back. She urged Reika to calm down and to take deep breaths, to which Reika obeyed. Within moments, Reika's breathing had settled, and Tsukiyama had her on her feet. After having Reika take a few steps, she decided she was unharmed. Reika apologized to Tsukiyama for her panic attack, to which she laughed and reassured that it was nothing to worry about.

"You haven't seen my brother, have you?" Reika questioned.

"I haven't seen a boy around here for quite some time," Tsukiyama replied.

Reika's eyes filled with tears, but she held them back. Tears would not help her find Hideki faster, and they sure would not help her mental state either. She felt as if she would break at any moment. Hideki had been by her side throughout this whole ordeal, and now that he was not there, she could feel her sanity crack like glass. She gave Tsukiyama a glance in effort to determine whether or not she could be trusted, but then she remembered her initial thoughts about Shinji and how wrong she was. With this thought, she chose to trust Tsukiyama.

"Um… are you alone?" Reika asked.

"Yes. I was separated from my friends not too long ago, actually. I was looking for them when I found you lying here," Tsukiyama informed.

"I'm… sorry if I caused any delay."

Tsukiyama smiled. "Not to worry, sweetie. How about this? We'll look for my friends and your brother together. No one should be alone in this place."

Reika smiled back. "I was actually about to suggest we do that, but you beat me to it."

"Well then. Shall we go?"

They began to walk down the hall in higher hopes now that they were with someone. Reika thought about Hideki, and if he was all right. She hoped that he was not harmed, and that he was searching for her as well. In attempt to alleviate some stress from Reika's mind, Tsukiyama talked about her life back home and asked her questions about her life as well. As they talked, they would take glances into classroom to see if anyone they knew was in them; sometimes, they would have to run away from vengeful spirits. Reika decided that she liked Tsukiyama; she was calm and joked in order to make Reika feel better. After countless hours of searching, they chose to rest for just a moment. As they stood still, Tsukiyama could see Reika shifting her weight on her feet.

"Reika? Do you, you know, need to pee?" she asked.

"Eh?" Reika's cheeks turned red. "Well… yes. I've needed to for a while…"

Tsukiyama giggled. "Why didn't you say something earlier, silly girl?" She winked at Reika. "Holding it in is not good for a woman's bladder, ya know?"

"I'm sorry," Reika modestly spoke.

"Ugh," Tsukiyama playfully groaned as she slapped her palm on her forehead. "I know where the bathrooms are. I'll take you there."

"I'm fine," Reika argued. "If it's out of the way-"

"Girl, I don't know about you, but when I gotta pee, I gotta pee," Tsukiyama lightly joked. "We're going to the bathroom."

Tsukiyama and Reika started toward the bathroom. Just before they made it, they saw someone standing at the entrance to the girls' bathroom. As they grew closer, a smile spread on Tsukiyama's face, and she ran to the person, who Reika noticed was a boy around Tsukiyama's age. Due to her happiness, Reika gathered it was one of the friends Tsukiyama had been looking for. The boy was around 5'8" and slender. His dark brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and his brown eyes seemed void of any emotion. His clothes had blood splatter on them, but for some reason, Tsukiyama paid this no mind as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Minoru! I've been looking for you!" Tsukiyama laughed, utter joy in her tone.

"Have you?" Minoru monotonously asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Tsukiyama questioned, still happy that she had found one of her friends. She then noticed the blood splatter on his clothes, which made her gasp. "Minoru! Are you hurt?"

"No," he replied.

"Thank God," Tsukiyama exhaled. "Oh! Minoru, this is Reika Takahashi. I found her after that nasty earthquake. We decided to team up to search for you and her brother. She's really nice. Reika, this is my friend Minoru Okubo."

Reika, feeling rather uneasy around Minoru, simply smiled. Minoru nodded in recognition.

"Minoru, do you mind if we wait on her? She needs to use the bathroom."

"Not at all," Minoru simply stated.

Tsukiyama smiled at Reika. "Well, go on. We'll wait for you."

Reika did not want to leave Tsukiyama alone with Minoru, but after some urging from Tsukiyama, she went into the bathroom. Once inside, Reika froze at what was at her feet.

The bodies of two girls were butchered in front of her. Reika wanted to scream, but her voice failed her. One of the girls' eyes were still open, transfixed in the utmost, unimaginable fear and pain. What horrified Reika the most was that they had been gutted, and their organs were neatly laid out on the floor beside them. Reika took one step back; all at once, a hand grasped onto her leg. Reika let out a scream.

Outside, Tsukiyama heard Reika's scream.

"Reika?!" she cried out. She took off toward the bathroom, but Minoru jumped in front of her, and in one swift motion, he grabbed her shoulder, spun her around, and slammed her back on the wall. He then pulled a large, bloody shard of glass out of his back pants pocket, a sneer on his face.

"Minoru?! What are you doing?!"

Inside the bathroom, Reika looked down to see one of the girls was still alive- the one who had her eyes open. She was whispering something, but Reika could not hear her, she knelt down to her.

"Min… Minoru…"

Reika knew. She had that feeling when she first saw him. "Don't worry. I'll save Tsukiyama."

The girl smiled at this. Her eyes then dimmed, and she was gone. Just then, something slammed against the bathroom door. Reika gasped and opened the door, surprised to see-

"Big brother!" she yelled.

Hideki was wrestling to get the glass shard out of Minoru's hand. Tsukiyama was lying on the floor, unharmed but in shock. Reika ran to her and tried to get her to come back to her senses.

Minoru pushed Hideki away with such a force, Hideki fell against the wall. Minoru then ran to him and slashed the glass toward him. Reika cried out as she heard Hideki grunt from the pain of it slicing open the skin on his chest, and blood soon spilt onto his shirt. Minoru tried to cut him again, but Hideki blocked it with his wrist, which made the glass fall out of Minoru's grasp and onto the floor. At this opportune moment, Hideki tackled him and pinned him down.

"Reika! Go!" he ordered.

Reika shook her head. She would not leave her brother again, especially with Minoru. Besides, Tsukiyama was still in shock; how could she leave her behind too? Just then, Minoru kicked Hideki's head, and he fell back with a grunt. Being freed from Hideki's hold, Minoru stood up and made a run for Tsukiyama and Reika; Reika screamed and held onto Tsukiyama. Right as Minoru reached for Reika, he was smashed against the wall by Hideki; however, this time, he did not fight back. Reika looked to see that Hideki held the glass shard, which was now stuck in Minoru's stomach. Blood seeped out of Hideki's hand from where he gripped the glass so hard. Minoru's eyes were wide in shock before they closed for good. Hideki laid him down on the floor and stared at his body for what seemed to be forever. Reika almost stood up to check on him, but he turned around and walked to them. He knelt down in front of Tsukiyama and gently shook her. Reika told him her name, and he started calling out to her. She finally blinked and looked to see Minoru's lifeless body. She screamed and ran to him.

"Minoru?! Minoru! No!" she sobbed. She jerked around and glared at Hideki. "You! You killed him!" Hideki looked away, visibly distraught over what he had to do in order to protect them. "You bastard! Get away from me!"

"He was trying to kill us, Tsukiyama," Reika rebutted. "Hideki had to-"

"He had no right! No right!"

"Tsukiyama, listen to-"

"GO AWAY!" Tsukiyama screamed as she rose to her feet and ran into the bathroom.

"No!" Reika cried out; however, no scream followed. Reika listened for anything, but there was no sound. She stood up and walked into the bathroom to see Tsukiyama standing between the two bodies of her friends. Her eyes were wide in terror, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Reika nervously walked up to her, prepared for anything. She reached out and gently touched her, but Tsukiyama did not react.

"Tsukiyama?" Reika called. She turned her around, stunned to see that her eyes were lifeless, even though she was still breathing. "Hey, let's get out of here, okay?" She pulled Tsukiyama out of the room. Once outside the bathroom, Reika noticed Hideki was still sitting on the floor, in shock of what he had to do. She knelt down in front of him and put her hand on his uninjured hand.

"Big brother?" When he did not respond, Reika started to worry. "Hideki, look at me."

Hideki blinked and looked at his sister. "Reika…"

"Yeah. Let's leave this place, big brother. No reason to stay."

Hideki did not budge. "I… I'm sorry you had to see that, Reika. I'm so sorry you had to see me kill someone…"

Reika felt tears roll down her cheeks. Even though he was hurt, even though he was distraught, he was still worried about others than himself. "Do your wounds hurt?"

"Is Tsukiyama okay?" he asked, ignoring Reika's question. His voice held so much sadness that it made Reika's heart ache. "…I'm so sorry…"

What happened next, Reika did not expect. She saw a tear roll down Hideki's face. Then another. And another. More tears began to fall, and soon, Hideki was sobbing. She felt so useless; all throughout this hellish endeavor, he had always kept a smile on his face and reassured her that everything would be all right. The one thing he wanted to do was to protect her, and he had to kill someone to do it. Someone's son. Someone's brother, best friend. All his life, he had been pursuing his dream to do something in the field of criminal justice just so that he could protect people. And now, to him, that dream was shattered. Reika saw Tsukiyama walk past her, but then she knelt down and wrapped her arms around Hideki, which surprised Reika. Tsukiyama rubbed Hideki's back and hummed what seemed to be a lullaby.

Everything was different now. There was no going back.


	8. Madness

Anju and Ayame walked on in what seemed to be a trance. What had happened not too long before still had them in a state of shock. Even when the earthquake hit, they did not seem to pay it much mind as they staggered down the hallway. Hours passed, and neither girl spoke a word. They did not even notice that the area had changed due to the earthquake; all they knew to do was to put one foot in front of the other. After quite some time, Anju finally came to her senses. She stopped walking and called out to Ayame, who took a few more steps forward before she stopped as well. Ayame did not look back at her friend, however, and this confused Anju. What could she say? She was just as traumatized as Ayame was; no words could take back what they had seen. Finally, Anju walked to her friend to see if she was all right.

"Ayame, are you okay?" she asked. Ayame did not respond, and this worried Anju. While she was scared herself, she knew that she had to help Ayame. "Hey. Look at me. Are you okay?"

Still silence. Anju sighed in both annoyance and perplexity. Just as she had made up her mind for the two of them to just continue in silence (or at least until Ayame came to her senses), Ayame decided to speak.

"Anju…"

"Hmm?"

"You… won't betray me… will you?"

Surprisingly, this question did not anger Anju. Certainly, after what had just happened, who would not think of such a thing? Shizu had killed her own sister. Something had made her snap, and the very thought of whatever it was horrified Anju. Instead of letting the question hurt or anger her, Anju smiled compassionately at Ayame and put a hand on her shoulder in effort to comfort her.

"Never in a million years."

Ayame did not look at Anju. She kept her eyes glued to the floor. Anju could tell she was hiding something, and that frustrated her. She and Ayame had known each other practically their entire lives. Why did she feel as if she should hide something? Ayame backed away from Anju.

"I don't believe you," she whispered.

The statement hit Anju hard. Why had she said that? It did not make sense. She had never given her a reason to doubt her or think that she would harm her in any manner. Anju took a step toward Ayame, who took a step back. Anger then replaced frustration, and Anju exhaled deeply.

"Oh, come _on_, Ayame. You're being silly."

Ayame shook her head. "I wonder if that's what Shizu told her sister before she killed her?"

Anju stomped her foot and grunted in annoyance. "Are you kidding me? Ayame, something was wrong with Shizu! We saw how she changed from deranged to normal in seconds! I've acted the same throughout this entire ordeal! Why do you doubt me?"

Ayame hugged her arms to her chest, as if protecting herself from a rage that Anju did not have, or could more than likely never have. Anju thought she had talked some sense into her friend. She wanted to comfort her because she seemed scared senseless, but when she took a step toward her, Ayame cried out and jumped back.

"S-stay back!"

Anju growled and clenched her fists in irritation. "Are you really going to play this game? If anyone should be afraid of betrayal, it's me! Remember? At the infirmary?"

"Stop. I don't want to remember!" Ayame cried out.

"Well I do!" Anju snapped. "It was you who lost your senses and decided to throw me in the wall and dislocate my knee!"

"Stop!"

"But you know what? I forgave you!" Anju yelled. Her frustration had reached its boiling point, and she could not seem to stop despite her friend begging her to. "Even though I was scared, I knew that something had happened, and that you would never do that to me. Have I even hurt you once? No! So stop acting like a child and let's go!"

Ayame could not refrain anymore, and she started to cry. Anju, hearing her friend sobbing, calmed down almost instantly. She felt horrible for taking out her annoyance on Ayame, who already seemed as if she could break at any moment. Anju covered her mouth in shock at her own behavior and took a step toward Ayame.

"Ayame… I'm so sorry," she softly spoke. Ayame took a step back. "Ayame, I don't know what came over me. Please-"

"Leave me alone!" Ayame sobbed as she ran into a classroom and slid the door shut at such a force, it shook the wall.

Anju stood out in the hallway, her eyes filled with tears. She was upset, hurt, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. All she wanted was to find her friends and go home. This place, Heavenly Host, was bringing out the worst of her, and it scared her. She had never been one to lose her temper or raise her voice- well, with the exception at her volleyball matches. Her mind went back in time, to a better place. Their school had just won a volleyball match, and one of the opposing girls, out of anger, threw a volleyball at Anju's head. When the ball made contact with her head, it made her favorite barrette snap off, and she lost it. It took Ayame and Hideki to hold her back as the girl left the gym with her family. Hideki, out of pure kindness (and out of something more, according to Ayame) bought her the white barrette she wore now.

She came back to reality when she heard what seemed to be grunting and crashing in the classroom Ayame had ran into. She thought that perhaps it was Ayame taking out her anger on some objects in the room and momentarily ignored it. That is, until the thrashing intensified and the grunts became screams. Just as Anju reached the door, the screaming and thrashing stopped. Still concerned for her friend, Anju slid the door open, looked into the room, and screamed. Along with overturned desks (Anju gathered that Ayame knocked them over while trying to escape), Ryou Yoshizawa, the little boy who was murdered with the two other children by having his tongue severed, stood beside Ayame, touching her arm. Ayame held her tongue in her left hand and a pair of scissors in her right hand, which her near her tongue. Her eyes were dull, as if she had no control over her own actions. Ryou's eyes were cold and lifeless, and his mouth was wide open, exposing the inside of his mouth, where only teeth filled it.

"_Gihh ihh bah…"_ Ryou moaned.

Without even second guessing, Anju ran into the room and grabbed the scissors in Ayame's hand, trying to force them out of Ayame's hold. Ayame had a death-grip on the scissors, and Anju found it difficult to even fight to keep Ayame from cutting herself.

Ryou moaned again and clenched Ayame's arm. _"Gihh ihh bah…"_

"Leave her alone! Please!" Anju cried out, still fighting to get the scissors away from Ayame. Not knowing what else to do, she balled her hand into a fist and punched Ayame in her stomach, which knocked the wind out of her and forced her to let go of the scissors. Anju then threw them to the other side of the classroom. Ryou still held on to Ayame's arm, not willing to release her. Anju did not know what to do. She wanted to run, but she would not leave Ayame, even if Ryou would never let her go. She wondered what all she could do, but only one thought kept entering her mind. It scared her to try it, but it was the only thing she could think of.

Anju, tears of fear rolling down her cheeks, knelt down to Ryou. "I know you're not a mean child," she calmly spoke. "I know what was done to you was wrong. It was horrible… and I am so sorry." Ryou blinked and looked into Anju's eyes. "I know it hurts. I know you just want to rest. But please… don't hurt her. She didn't do anything to deserve this. Think about how you felt… You didn't deserve it. You didn't do anything wrong." Ryou's eyes filled with tears, and in moments, the tears spilled down his cheeks. "Don't let her feel that way… Please, let her go."

Ryou looked from Anju to Ayame then back to Anju. He wiped away his tears and slowly released his grip on Ayame's arm. Ayame staggered and fell to the floor, dazed and confused. Anju checked on her friend, relieved she was unharmed, then turned to see Ryou standing at her side, his face full of sadness. Anju wanted to hug him, to give him a warm embrace that he had probably not felt for many, many years. Instead, she did the one thing that she knew she could do.

"Thank you," she spoke sincerely.

Ryou smiled sadly then walked out of the classroom. Anju exhaled then smiled. The children could be helped. They were still children at heart, but in their torment became into the "monsters" the spirits had claimed them to be. She decided then that she wanted to help the children somehow. When Ayame finally came to her senses, she told Anju she knew what Ryou was doing but could not stop it. She apologized in tears to her friend, who smiled at her and reassured her that everything was all right. Anju informed Ayame how she had somehow calmed Ryou, and that she believed that the children could be helped. With a newfound resolution, the two rose to their feet and resumed their efforts. Although tired, hungry, and thirsty, they knew that no matter what they had to keep going.

There was no giving up.


	9. Shattered Innocence

After the struggle Haru had with Morishige, he and Shiori waited in the classroom in order for Shiori to take care of Haru's face. He had been through so much just to ensure her safety, and she felt horrible for how cruel she was to him before. Tears rolled down her face as she looked at the gash on his forehead and tried to wipe some of the blood away, but it was already crusted over and would not come off. She wanted to get him some proper help, such as to disinfect the wounds, but nothing was around to do so. Haru said nothing and did not wince at all; instead, he just clutched Shiori's skirt, as if he was afraid she would just vanish right before him. Much to his relief, the bruises on Shiori's neck were not as bad as Haru initially thought they were.

So close… if he had not gotten there in time, she would have…

When she was done, Haru wasted no time in rising to his feet. He was stiff and sore, but he knew they had to keep going. Shiori did not say a word; it was as if she could read Haru's mind, and she agreed with him. Hand in hand, they left the room and continued searching throughout the school for their friends. Their throats were scratchy, and their mouths were so dry. Their stomachs growled in hunger. They were so, so tired. How long had they been here? How much longer would they survive? Haru gently squeezed Shiori's hand. He was not going to let her die under any circumstances. Not here. Even before coming to this hell, they had been through so much more than what most teenagers went through. Perhaps even adults. The only true happiness they had was when they were with each other and their friends. Maybe it was an act of munificence that Haru and Shiori were placed together in this place, to be each other's vim and vigor.

They thought about those four children, and the three who were murdered. All throughout the school, they had found scattered newspaper articles about the murders and the development and the story. Conveniently enough, however, the articles were always cut off at the very end, as if someone or something there was hiding the whole story. Time and time again, they ran into the ghosts of the children. Shiori wanted to help them so much. It was as if she could feel the pain in their hearts. Haru agreed with her, but he felt as if what the children were doing was wrong. They were taking out their anger over their deaths on innocent people who had nothing to do with it- people who were not even alive during the time of their grisly murders.

Suddenly, Shiori came to an abrupt halt. Haru stopped as well and look back at her to see sadness in her eyes. She hugged herself and looked down at the floor. Haru, wanting to comfort her, walked to her, but she took a step back.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I think… something is wrong with me," she began. "Seeing a body… doesn't bother me anymore…"

Haru was shocked by this statement, but he did not let it show. He knew what was going to happen if they did not get out of here soon. Little by little, Shiori was losing herself to this school. Haru walked to her, and just as he reached out to her, her cell phone beeped. This surprised them both; their cell phones had stopped working hours ago despite being fully charged. Shiori gasped and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She gave Haru a hopeful look, and he nodded in agreement. She opened her flip-phone and held it to her ear.

"H-hello?"

"_Big sis? Hello?" _

Shiori smiled immediately at the sound of her little sister's voice. Haru smiled as well, put his arm around his love's shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Yukata! Is this really you? I am so happy tear hear your voice!"

"_Big sis? Answer me! It's your little sister, Yukata!" _

"I am answering you, goober. I'm right here," Shiori giggled, thinking that perhaps there was bad signal and she was cutting out on Yukata's end.

"…_Please… answer me… come home… Grandma and Grandpa are really worried… If you and your friends think this is a funny joke, it's not! We're scared!" _

"Joke? Yukata-"

"_If something has happened to you…" _

Just then, Shiori could faintly hear her grandmother in the background. _"Is she not answering, Yukata?"_

"_No… what if…"_

Shiori's grandmother seemed to have grabbed the phone out of Yukata's hand. _"Listen me. If someone else has this… if you have harmed Shiori and her friends in any way… God have mercy on you, because we certainly won't." _

With that, the line went dead. Shiori's hopes shattered, and she lowered the phone as she looked slowly up at Haru. Her features shocked Haru; she was pale, and her eyes were dull. Haru grabbed the phone out of her hand and called the number again, putting it on speaker. He had to try again. They heard what seemed to be someone answering the phone, which gave Haru hope that perhaps Shiori's grandmother had answered it.

"Honami?" he called.

"_You will die here," _spoke a sinister, male voice from the phone. This statement caused Haru to nearly drop the phone. _"You fight… you struggle… for nothing. I. Will. Kill. You." _

"Stop!" Haru yelled as he slammed the phone shut. He shoved it angrily in his pocket then directed his attention to Shiori, and was immediately scared to see that she was no longer by his side. He looked all the way down the hallway to see her standing in a corner, her back toward him, her shoulders moving up and down. Thinking she was crying, he began to make his way to her… but the closer he drew, the more he realized she was not crying, but laughing creepily. The laughter seemed broken, as if she had become unhinged. He stopped behind her, his heart racing as he listened to her laughter.

"Sh-Shiori?" he apprehensively called as he reached out to her. Just as he touched her shoulder, she wheeled around and knocked his hand away.

"Don't you dare touch me, you bastard!" she snarled. Haru nearly cried out when he saw her face. Her eyes were wide, and her pupils were as small as pinpoints, and she was literally snarling her lips. She looked absolutely deranged, and it scared Haru greatly. He took a step back, not sure how to react.

"Shiori?" was all he could manage to say.

"He thinks he'll kill me?" she quickly spoke. "He's got another thing coming!" She reached up and started sinking her nails into her collarbones. Slowly, she began to drag then down as far as her blouse would let her, brining blood. Haru nearly jumped out of his skin at this, but he gathered his bearings and ran to her. He grabbed her wrists and held them in his hands.

"Shiori! Stop it!" he strongly ordered. "You're hurting yourself!"

"It's my body! I'll do to it whatever the hell I want!" she screamed at Haru as she jerked her hands out of his hold. She dug her nails into her neck this time and did the same as she did to her collarbones, laughing frenziedly as she did so. Haru grabbed at her again, but she moved to the side and ran away from him. This was not like her. She loved life. She never quit at anything, so why…? Again, she clawed her throat. Haru tried to get her to stop, but no matter what he did, he could not get her to stop. He thought of one thing he could do to bring her back to her senses… and he hated the thought. But, he had to do something… anything… to save her. Using his speed, Haru ran up to her, grabbed her wrists with one hand and balled the other. He paused for a moment to prepare himself-

"SHIT!" he screamed as Shiori clamped her teeth into his arm. She bit him so hard that blood started trickling down his arm, and she would not release him. Haru winced in pain then looked into Shiori's eyes. She was not there. Not the Shiori he loved. "Shiori… I'm sorry." With his balled fist, he punched her stomach at such a force, it knocked the breath out of her, and she collapsed unconscious in his arms. Haru sat down in the floor at held Shiori loosely as he stared down the hall, trying to catch his breath.

Shiori's cell phone beeped again, breaking the silence. Haru ignored it for a moment, but it continued to beep. After about thirty seconds that caused him to get irritated, Haru jerked it out of his pocket, flipped it open, and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_You will die here." _

Before Haru could stop himself, he took the cell phone in both hands and snapped it in half. He threw it to the side in anger and looked away from it.

"_I. Will. Kill. You." _

Haru quickly turned his head and looked at the phone. It was completely broken. Yet, it was lit up and a voice was coming out of it.

"_You keep saving her. You're making her suffer. Just let her die. It's going to happen anyway." _

"Stop…"

"_You should kill her. Think about it. She'll die by the hands of the person she loves the most. If I kill her, I'll make her suffer. I promise you that."_

"Shut up." Haru growled. "I would never kill her or anyone. I promised to protect her."

"_I'd do away with that pathetic masquerade of honor. It doesn't do you a bit of good here, but you and I both know that the end is inevitable. It's either you or me." _

The light died, and the voice stopped. Haru stared at the phone for a moment, unblinking and not breathing. Never would he kill her, or anyone for that matter. He looked down at her to see she was still unconscious, and that a tear had splattered on her face. Wiping away the tear with his hand, he continued to loosely hold her in his arms. He bowed his head and tried to force the tears to go away as he tenderly stroke Shiori's cheek with the back of his hand.

"I'm… starting to lose myself… Shiori," he whispered.

More tears splashed onto Shiori's face.

Thirty minutes passed before Shiori awoke. She opened her eyes to see Haru staring blankly ahead. Confused, she sat up, surprised that her stomach was sore and that her neck and chest stung, as well as feeling queasy. The memory of whatever happened before was gone, and as she tried to recall what happened, she noticed that Haru had not moved or spoken a word. She looked down to see a bite mark on as well as blood on his arm, and she grew concerned. Her neck and chest still stung, so she reached up and felt wetness. When she brought her hands down, she gasped in terror to see blood on her fingers. Quickly, she backed away from Haru, wondering if he had lost his mind briefly and harmed her, and if so, then perhaps the bite mark was given to him by her efforts to free herself.

"H-Haru?"

Finally, Haru blinked and directed his eyes to Shiori. He smiled sadly at her.

"You're awake. That's good," he spoke in a way that seemed almost detached. Shiori took a step back, preparing to run if she needed to.

"Haru… did… what did you do?"

Haru raised an eyebrow, confused as to what she meant. He then realized what she did mean and he sighed, visibly hurt by her assumption.

"You don't remember, do you?" he asked. When she did not answer, Haru rose to his feet. "I guess that's a good thing that you don't. Now, let's get going."

Shiori took another step back. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what happened."

Irritated, Haru exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Forget it, Shiori. It's best you don't remember."

"You attacked me, didn't you?!" Shiori panicked.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Haru snapped. Shiori jerked, astonished by the viciousness in his voice. He never talked to her that way. "You know better than that."

"What else am I supposed to believe?" Shiori lashed back. "I have scratches all over my neck and you have a bite mark on you! Probably from where I was trying to get away!"

The look in Haru's eyes immediately broke Shiori's heart and made her understand that her accusation against him was completely asinine. Before she could apologize, with a smile on his face, Haru walked to her phone. He bent down, picked it up, and stood up.

"I broke it. I'll replace it when we get out."

Shiori shook her head. "When we get out? Haru, we're never getting out! We are going to die here!"

Haru placed the phone in his breast pocket and walked past Shiori a little ways before he stopped. Silence filled the area briefly. Shiori felt horrible. First, she nearly got Haru killed by the principle's son. Then, she accused him of trying to kill her. Thirdly, she had no faith in anything anymore. Haru had never given her a reason not to trust him. What was wrong with her?

"It's most likely a good idea we keep moving," Haru spoke. "If you don't want to be with me anymore, I understand."

He began walking onward. Shiori felt a lump rise in her throat, and tears stung her eyes. She followed Haru but remained two to three feet behind him at all times. They continued to walk the through the school, past corpses and ghosts, in silence. It was sometime until there was any communication between the two. Shiori still felt horrible for treating Haru so badly, but for some reason, she could not bring herself to apologize. No matter how hard she tried, her voice would fail her. Time went on, and as they walked by a classroom, they could hear someone eating inside. Locking eyes with each other, they wordlessly communicated; perhaps whoever was in the room would be willing to share. They slid open the door and walked in… What they discovered made Shiori scream. Inside the room, a boy about Haru's age was devouring another boy, whose eyes were open and transfixed in death with the utmost pain in horror.

Hearing Shiori's scream, the boy looked up at them. He swallowed his bite and wiped the blood that was on his face on his sleeve. He sat up and looked down at the boy, a creepy smile spread on his face.

"You must think I'm a monster, but we were so hungry," he spoke. "So, we talked and decided that one of us has to survive. We played a game of rock-paper-scissors… I won, so I got to live."

Haru grabbed Shiori's arm and pulled her behind him. He backed her up closer to the exit.

"Whatever you and your friend decided is your business," Haru calmly said.

The boy glanced back up at Haru and Shiori, the smile on his face widening, revealing his teeth. Shiori could not refrain from throwing up; skin, meat, and tissue were stuck in the boy's teeth. He rose to his feet, pulling scissors out of his pocket as he did.

"I'll run out of food soon. I don't want to starve."

Haru let go of Shiori's wrist to let her run, but she did not move. The boy stepped over the body then charged at them. Since Shiori was right behind him, Haru could not move. The boy raised his scissors and stabbed them into Haru's chest, causing him to grunt in shock and Shiori to scream in fear; however, Haru did not fall. Shiori remembered that Haru had put her broken cell phone in his breast pocket, and by chance, that was where the boy had stabbed. Haru jerked the boy's arm away, the boy pulling out the scissors. In one swift motion, Haru twisted the boy's arm behind his back and slammed him into the wall.

"Shiori! Go!" he yelled.

Shiori shook her head. "I'm not leaving you!"

"No! Shiori, go! Now!"

Reluctantly, Shiori took off running. She ran down the hallway but stopped with a gasp when she heard Haru cry out. An eerie silence filled the hallway. She did not know whether to stay put, go back to the room, or run. After a few moments, her heartbeat sped up, and tears filled her eyes. Then, she smiled when she saw Haru step out of the classroom. The smile quickly faded when she recognized that something was wrong. Haru walked to the staircase and on down the stairs. Shiori followed, despite feeling uneasy. She walked down the stairs then stopped when she saw Haru sitting on a step with his elbow propped up on his knee and his head leaned on his hand. Shiori got in front of him… His hands were covered in blood. He had a gash on his neck, but luckily it had missed the artery. He sat in silence as he stared into nothingness.

Shiori understood immediately. He killed the boy in order to protect them. Wordlessly, Shiori sat down beside Haru and wrapped her arms around him. It was silent for a moment, but then Shiori's cell phone cut on.

"_You are slipping, boy. You gave your testament that you would never slay anyone." _Shiori reached in Haru's breast pocket and pulled out the broken cell phone. She stared at it, stunned to see it lit up and that they were hearing a voice emitting from it. _"I told you that your bravery was just a masquerade. You feared for your own life, so you took his in order to ensure your survival," _the same voice (unbeknownst to Shiori) from before spoke. _"You have now subjected your love to the depravity of your madness that you shadowed for so long. Consider what I suggested before, boy." _

"Leave him alone," Shiori pleaded. "Just stop… he's been through enough."

"_It's all… everything… for nothing. You will die here." _

In a fit of rage, Shiori threw her phone as hard as she could down the stairs. It slammed on the floor and rolled until it was out of sight. Shiori calmed down then leaned her head on Haru's shoulder and wrapped her hand around one of his blood-soaked hands.

"Haru…" she whispered, "please don't give up on me…"

Silence. However, shortly after…

"I won't…"

Shiori squeezed Haru's hand tighter. She was not going to lose him to this place.

*Edit: I made this longer. After I had posted it, I suddenly got ideas. Hope it's all right!


	10. Voices of the Dead

Silently and slowly, Hideki, Reika, and Tsukiyama walked around the school in search of something they could use to help Hideki's wounds he received earlier. He was bleeding and getting somewhat weaker, and it worried Reika greatly; however, he never complained about any pain or weakness, and Reika knew it was because he did not want to worry her. With a stroke of fortune, they happened upon the infirmary. Inside, they were amazed to see that the beds were not dusty or dirty, since everything else in this school was filthy or dilapidated. There was an open book on the desk, but when they tried to turn the pages, they discovered that it was just another fixture. The two cabinets next to the beds had blood-stained scissors in them, and one the wall was a bloody diaphragm of the human digestive tract. Next to the sink was another cabinet, and much to their surprise, it had bandages and alcohol solution in it. Reika had Hideki sit on one of the beds while Tsukiyama walked to the cabinet and gathered the bandages, gauze, and alcohol. She made her way back to the bed Hideki was sitting on. Reika's eyes were full of worry; the wound was deep, and the glass was really dirty. There was also the wound on his hand to be concerned about. Tsukiyama sat down on the bed beside Hideki and put some alcohol on gauze. She then asked Hideki to remove his shirt, to which he complied. Reika could have sword that she saw Tsukiyama blush, but she was not entirely certain. Just as Tsukiyama was to put the gauze on his chest wound, he stopped her and looked at Reika.

"You can go wait out in the hall until we're done, Reika. You don't have to stay here."

Reika shook her head. "I'm staying right here."

Hideki nodded, and Tsukiyama applied the gauze to his chest wound. At first, the pain stunned him and made him cry out. His chest felt like it was on fire. Reika put her hands to her ears, for hearing her brother's pain-filled cries hurt her immensely. The gauze became soaked in blood, and Tsukiyama had the use another to finish the chest wound and a third one for his hand. She bandaged them the best she could and hoped the wounds would not get infected, and that he would be all right.

"Let's rest for a bit," she suggested. "This may be the one place we truly can."

Reika and Hideki lay down on one bed, Tsukiyama on the bed closer to the wall. She was so tired, and the bed felt so good... It caused her to feel guilty. Her friends were dead, one by Hideki's hand. When it first happened, she hated him. In a way, she still did; on the other hand, she would have been killed if he had not intervened. Before she knew it, tears rolled down her cheeks, but she cried silently. Hideki was already in anguish over what he had to do, and she knew this. Her tears would only further add to his torment. She wiped her tears away and closed her eyes.

"Big brother?" she heard.

"What is it, Reika?" he asked, his voice weak.

"…I'm sorry."

"What for?"

Silence lasted for about ten seconds.

"It's because of me you had to-"

"Don't think like that, okay?" Hideki warmly interrupted. "It's not your fault at all."

"…Do you think Tsukiyama is okay?"

"Probably not, but let's not wake her. She needs her rest."

Silence filled the room again, this time for so long that Tsukiyama thought Hideki and Reika had fallen asleep.

"Big brother?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to die?"

This question made Tsukiyama open her eyes. She had been so caught up in her own emotions that she had completely forgotten about Reika's. Her heart ached for the young girl.

"Not a chance," she heard Hideki reply. "Tsukiyama patched me up real nicely. See? I'm going to be a-okay."

Tsukiyama closed her eyes at this point. Sleep fell quickly upon her. When she opened her eyes again, it was because she thought someone was shaking her awake, but she realized that was not the case. Hideki was covering a weeping Reika and was reaching for Tsukiyama as the intensity of the earthquake worsened. Just as he clasped his hand around Tsukiyama's arm, the earthquake stopped. Uninjured from the quake, the three stepped outside the infirmary, surprised to see no change. When they turned around to go back into the infirmary-

"What?" Tsukiyama breathed.

"No way," Hideki gasped and Reika clung onto his arm.

The door, the infirmary- it was gone. Tsukiyama reached out and touched the wall, her eyes wide in disbelief. They had _just_ been in that room. How could it be gone? With Reika still clung onto his arm, Hideki took several steps upward; he cried out and immediately buried Reika's face in his torso. Tsukiyama walked to them to see what had scared them and screamed. In front of them, splattered on the wall, was Mayu Suzumoto. Reika, knowing something terrifying was in front of them, kept her head buried in her brother's torso.

"…This wasn't here before…" Tsukiyama whispered to Hideki. Hideki remained silent, and Tsukiyama did not speak another word. Reika did not need to know the grotesqueness that was in front of them. They decided to just leave the area, but then-

"Oh, God! It's Mayu's body again!"

Hideki and Reika jerked around, recognizing the voice they heard. To their elation and surprise, Ayame and Anju were down the hallway. Without a second wasted, Hideki and Reika called out to them, which in turn was a happy shock to the two girls as well. Anju and Ayame ran to them, and before Anju could stop herself, she threw her arms around Hideki's neck and cried onto his shoulder. Despite his chest hurting him, Hideki hugged her back tightly; Ayame and Reika smiled to themselves at the sight. Shortly after their reunion, they introduced Tsukiyama to Ayame and Anju, and they filled each other in on what they had uncovered about the school and the events they had been through.

"What about Haru and Shiori?" Ayame asked.

"We haven't seen them," Hideki sadly replied. "I hope they're all right."

"What… about you… Hideki?" Anju timidly spoke. "After what you had to do… are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me," Hideki quickly said, feeling very uneasy about the question. "Anyway, I wonder what happened to the infirmary?"

"I'm glad it's gone," Ayame snarled. "That place was awful!"

"What about Mayu's spirit?" Tsukiyama piped up. "Where did she go if the infirmary is gone?"

"Maybe she was set free?" Reika quietly proposed.

"I'd like to think so, but this school is not that unsparing," Hideki sighed.

"So, what do we do now?" Tsukiyama asked.

"I… think we should go back to the other building," Hideki stated.

"What?! No!" Reika cried out.

"Reika, I know you're scared, but I feel like there's something there we should see," Hideki said. "We'll be all right."

"I don't believe you!"

"Okay, how about this? If something goes wrong, you can kick me in the shins," Hideki offered. "Sound good?"

Reika barely nodded, her face now scrunched up in a pout. The group then made their way to the other building, and once they stepped inside, Hideki instantly remembered why he hated this area so much. The air was so thick, and his head began to hurt. Even though there was some light, it was as if he could feel the darkness of the building, and he knew the girls felt it as well. He reassured them that he would find whatever it was he was searching for quickly so they could return to the other building. They walked around the school, Hideki checking every room he could… with the exception of the music room, the shower room, and the pool. He could not bring himself to go back in those places. He did not want to see Shinji's body again. They made their way up a flight of stairs but stopped when they heard someone walking. When the person came into view, they eased their apprehension. It was Sakutaro Morishige, who was looking at his cell phone with a smile on his face.

"H-hey!" Hideki called. This caught Morishige's attention, and he quickly put his phone away. They walked to him, happy to see someone else alive.

"Greetings," Morishige said.

"Man, it's good to see someone else alive," Hideki smiled. "I'm Hideki Takahashi. This is my little sister Reika."

"Tsukiyama Koruba."

"I'm Anju Hanari. This is Ayame Imamura."

"Sakutaro Morishige," he introduced. At this, Anju and Ayame froze.

"Nice to meet you," Hideki said. "Are you alone?"

"I'm searching for someone," Morishige replied.

"Well, maybe we can look for your friend together?" Hideki advocated. "No one should be alone in this place."

"Um, no," Morishige brashly replied. "You'll only slow me down." This statement confused Hideki, Reika, and Tsukiyama, but Anju and Ayame knew exactly what Morishige meant. Morishige turned away from them and crossed his arms. "Now, if you please, leave me."

"Morishige," Anju firmly called, "wait a moment."

"If I must," Morishige exhaled impatiently.

"We… have a message for you… from the person you are looking for," Ayame timidly spoke.

"Don't be daft," Morishige scoffed. "You have no idea who I am trying to find." He started to walk away.

"Her name is Mayu Suzumoto," Anju called out to him. Hearing Mayu's name caused Morishige to stop dead in his tracks. He wheeled around and looked at Anju with a psychotic gleam in his eyes. Hideki grabbed Anju's arm and pulled her behind him to protect her in case Morishige tried anything.

"You saw her? Is she okay? Where is she?"

"We saw her, but listen to us," Anju said, answering one of Morishige's inquiries. She was afraid to tell him what had truly happened to Mayu. "Morishige, she wants you to stop."

Morishige jerked then pushed is glasses farther back on the bridge of his nose, retaining his cool. "Stop what?"

"You know exactly what," Anju retorted. "Please… it's hurting and scaring her."

Morishige stared at Anju in bewilderment then laughed haughtily. "A ghost put you up to this, didn't they?"

"You could say that…" Ayame piped up. "Listen-"

"You're playing a sick joke on me, and I don't appreciate it," Morishige interrupted. "Now, get out of my sight. I have better things to do."

"No!" Anju yelled, agitated by his inability to listen and his pomposity. "Morishige, please-"

"Anju, did you say? My patience is wearing thin," Morishige warned. "Would you kindly leave, you and your friends."

"Anju, let's go," Ayame said. "He's obviously not going to listen."

With much hesitation, they walked up the stairs, past Morishige, and entered the room, where they debated on whether or not that they should tell Morishige about Mayu. Morishige looked angry then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

"We need to tell him," Tsukiyama said. "He has no idea he is looking at his friend…"

"I agree," Hideki spoke. "I'll tell him. You all stay here."

"What? Hideki, no!" Anju fussed. "You're already injured! What if he hurts you?"

"I'll be all right. I don't want him laying a hand on any one of you," Hideki smiled at her. "I'll be right back."

Hideki reached for the door knob and turned it, but it was locked. This confused him; just moments before, it had been unlocked. He tried again, but it still would not open. He then heard a faint voice… a girl's… speak.

"_Don't look at me… Don't look at me… Shig, please… Stop looking at my insides…" _

Hideki looked back at his friends and noticed they had heard it, too. It was Mayu's forlorn spirit calling out to her friend since Anju's and Ayame's words failed to reach him. At once, Morishige's screams of anger, sadness, and torment filled their ears. He began to laugh in a frenzied manner and scream Mayu's name over and over… then, glass shattered. Panicking, Hideki tried forcing open the door so that he could try to save Morishige, but the door would not budge. There was a loud shatter, followed by Morishige's scream, then stillness. They stood there for a moment in shock; Reika had her hands over her ears, but she had heard everything. Hideki turned the knob, which was now unlocked, and the door slowly creaked open. They walked to the stairwell to see Morishige's phone lying on the floor. The window was shattered; blood was on the window, the ground, and on the shards of glass that were on the floor. Hideki walked to the window and looked down then bowed his head. He felt so useless that he could not save Morishige from losing his mind. Anju and Ayame wanted to cry, for they felt as if they had failed Mayu, who wanted nothing more than for her friend to stop taking pictures of the dead.

After a few moments, not knowing what else to do, they walked up two more flights of stairs to the principal's office. The door was unlocked, but Hideki and Reika could recall that before, when they had been walking around, the door was locked. Hideki reached for the knob and turned it. The five friends walked inside the room, the door shutting behind them.


	11. Cold

Once Shiori convinced Haru to keep moving, they were back on their feet making their way around the school. The earthquake that had hit before slightly changed the area, but nothing major as far as they noticed. Onward they walked, Haru in silence and Shiori holding his hand. She wanted to hear his voice… he had not spoken since the time they were on the stairs after he had killed that boy. She knew that words could not heal the pain he was experiencing, so she remained quiet and simply held his hand. The silence was deafening, so to keep herself from going insane, she began to faintly sing aloud.

"The strength to hold on… the courage to let go. Embracing who I am and my faults… these abilities were given to me by you." She felt Haru's hand twitch. She continued to sing, this time a little louder. The song that escaped her lips… the song she sang all the time… was Haru's lullaby his mother used to sing him when he was a baby. Even before they started dating, Shiori would occasionally catch Haru singing it, and she wanted to learn it herself. Plus, Haru had an amazing voice, which he denied whenever anyone brought it up. Basketball and track were his things, not singing. She drew closer to the end of the song, and she gently squeezed Haru's hand. "We'll do this together. We promised, right?"

At this, Haru pulled Shiori close to him and held her in his arms. They stood there for just a moment, quiet and still, minus for Haru's shaking. Shiori rubbed his back and closed her eyes, her head leaned on his chest. Finally, he reacted to something. He was still there.

"Shiori?"

Shiori smiled. He spoke his first word in perhaps hours and it was her name.

"Yes?"

"I want to thank you."

"For what?"

"Keeping me sane," Haru replied. "Even before we got here, you gave me a sense of normalcy. Let's face it… my life is anything but normal. I had to give up a lot of things… basketball, track, my home… but with you, I am given a glimpse of what I need and want out of life. I have something to live for, to protect." He held her closer to him. "I love you."

"I love you too, Haru. You know that," Shiori smiled.

Silence filled the area again. Shiori, despite being where they were, felt safe and comforted.

"Shiori?" Haru called again.

"Hmm?"

"When we get out of here…" he stopped.

"What is it?"

"Once we get out of here, let's get married."

"Okay," Shiori replied effortlessly. Haru pulled her away and looked at her. Obviously, he meant what he said, but did she? Did she grasp what he meant? What he was asking?

"You mean it?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she smiled. "You always keep your promises to me and have made my life so much better. Sure, we're a little young, but I believe we can do this."

Haru, for the first time in quite a while, legitimately smiled. He leaned his forehead on Shiori's forehead and held her hand. "We'll do this together. I promise."

With a newfound resolve, the two continued their search throughout the school. Shiori knew Haru needed medical attention for his neck. They talked about days passed and the good times just to keep their spirits up. Haru never once complained about his injuries; Shiori was worried more about his sanity than anything. In due time, near the exit that led to the other appendix of the school, they found a long hallway that had previously not been there. Due to its length, they could not see what was at the end of it. Hand in hand, they began to walk down the hallway but jerked to a stop halfway. Their heads began splitting, and Shiori's nose started to bleed.

"Shiori! Are you okay?" Haru asked, deeply concerned.

"I'm… fine," Shiori replied through gritted teeth.

"No, you're not. Go wait at the start of the hallway. I'll go alone."

"I have a bad feeling about this place, Haru. Let's just leave."

Haru looked down the hall to see a door. He looked back to Shiori; she had said something similar to this before Haru was nearly killed by the ghost of a vengeful student-teacher. However, something was telling him to go to the room. He squeezed Shiori's hand and sighed.

"Wait for me, okay?"

He let go of her hand and walked to the door. Just as he reached it-

"Haru!" He looked back to see Shiori walking to him. "I'm coming with you."

She could see his eyes fill with worry and doubt. "Are you sure?"

Wrapping her hand around his, she smiled. "Together, right?"

He smiled back at her and they slid the door open. The thickness of the darkness and the atmosphere hit them like a brick wall. Haru felt Shiori's grip on his hand tighten. They took a deep breath and entered the room. Inside was so dark that they could literally feel it. Just then, a candle was lit (but by what?), and it gave light to the room. Shiori smiled when she realized they were in the infirmary.

"Maybe there are things in here that we could use for our injuries," she claimed as she began to look around. She walked to the cabinet next to the sink and jumped with excitement when she saw the bandages and alcohol. Just as she opened the cabinet to reach for them, she heard Haru yell out her name. She turned around to see the ghost of Yoshie Shinozaki standing next to the desk, merely five feet away from her. Yoshie was pale, and her eyes were closed. She wore a school nurse's uniform with a nurse's cap on her head. Her hair was up in a bun. Instantly, the room became intensely cold, and the air was so thick, they could barely breathe.

"Shiori, come here!" Haru panicked. Shiori turned to quickly gather some medical supplies. "Shiori!"

"Hold on just a-"

"_Sachiko is my pride and joy,"_ Yoshie spoke. _"She would do anything for me."_

Shiori turned around to see Yoshie standing in front of her, this time with her neck broken and her eyes wide open. Shiori screamed and ran to the side then to Haru. She pulled Haru's arm, but he did not budge. She stopped and looked at Haru to see his eyes full of sympathy.

"Haru, what are-"

"Wait," he quietly interrupted. "I have a feeling that she has something to say."

Shiori turned and looked at Yoshie, whom was now standing in the middle of the room, her eyes closed and her neck still broken. With much hesitance, Shiori stood by Haru's side. Yoshie stayed rooted to that spot, and silence filled the room for a minute. All at once, her neck straightened and her eyes flashed open, locked onto Haru's eyes. Haru jerked, his eyes widened, and he did not blink. This scared Shiori, who reached out to him to see if he was all right, but the very second she touched him, she could see perhaps what Yoshie wanted to tell them. The principal, Takamine Yanagihori, asked Yoshie out to dinner, to which she denied since it was Sachiko's birthday. Angered, Takamine firmly grabbed her shoulders and shoved her down on his desk. He tried unbuttoning her shirt, but she began to fight back, which in turn caused him to rip her blouse. She somehow managed to escape, but she was not quick enough to get away from Takamine, who caught up to her and shoved her down the stairs. They heard her neck snap. Takamine then stood over her body, stunned by what he had done.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Look what you made me do!" he panicked.

"M-mama?"

Takamine looked to see Sachiko standing there, a look of confusion and horror on her face. Takamine straightened up and glared at her, but her eyes were focused on her mother's body. "You saw, didn't you?"

Nearly instantly, Takamine charged at the little girl, who took off running. At this, Haru and Shiori blinked to see Yoshie's back turned toward them. They stood there and waited for a minute or so, but she said nothing more, so they exited the room and walked out into the hall. Still feeling uneasy about the place, they walked away from the hall then sat down beside a locked classroom. Shiori began to tend to Haru's neck wound; the alcohol caused immense pain that made Haru cry out. She put a bandage on it and wrapped it. Haru then gently tended to Shiori's wounds on her chest and neck, but luckily they did not require bandages. As he applied the alcohol to her wounds, she clamped her mouth shut, but tears rolled down her cheeks. When he was done, they rose to their feet.

"That poor woman… and Sachiko…" Shiori whispered, tears rolling down her face.

"I know, but that still does not excuse what she is doing here," Haru bitterly spoke. "What happened was tragic, but she's killing innocent people."

"…Maybe she's lost herself," Shiori suggested. "Maybe she's so hurt and angry, she's not herself anymore."

"Then, we could try to help her," Haru blurted out.

"Help her? How?"

"By making her realize what she is doing is wrong. That the people she's killing now have nothing to do with what happened to her. And," Haru held Shiori's hand, "by making her feel loved."

Shiori stared at Haru incredulously. "Can we even do that?"

Haru shrugged. "We can try." He stood up and held his hand down to Shiori, who took it. He helped her up to her feet, and they set off again. They had lost track of how many people they had found dead in this school, and they thought something was wrong with them since they were no longer horrified as intensely as they were before. Time passed by, and they discovered a room which had previously not been there before. When they slid open the doors, they were surprised to find that it was the cafeteria. Not only did they discover that it was the cafeteria, but they were horrified to see so many bodies lying in the room. Some were just bones while others were horribly decomposed, slightly decomposed, or freshly killed. The smell in the room was immense, and it took the breath from Shiori and Haru. Haru looked further into the room and gasped when he saw the three little children ghosts- Tokiko Tsuji, Yuki Kanno, and Ryou Yoshizawa- standing in the middle of the room. Ryou was crying, and Tokiko and Yuki seemed to be trying to calm him down. Haru grabbed Shiori's hand and started to walk away, but Shiori took a step forward.

"Shiori, we have to go."

"Hold on," Shiori spoke. "I… want to help them."

Haru looked into Shiori's eyes and immediately understood. He took a deep breath, and the two walked into the large room. The moment they drew close to the three children, they immediately felt the temperature drop significantly. The Tokiko and Yuki turned their attention to Haru and Shiori, but Ryou would not stop crying. The top half of Tokiko's head was gone, and Yuki's eye and tongue were missing. Ryou's stomach had a rather large gash in it, and his tongue was gone as well. Yuki looked increasingly confused to see Haru and Shiori actually walking to them instead of running away. When they neared the children, Shiori knelt down in front of Ryou and smiled warmly at him.

"What's the matter? Hmm? Why the tears?" she soothingly asked. Ryou looked up at her, confused, with tears rolling down his face.

"Ahh wahha gah hahm…" Ryou sobbed. "Mahha… pahha…"

Shiori leaned forward and "wrapped" her arms around the ghost child, whose eyes widened in shock. "There, there… It's all right, Ryou. It's all right. Let it out, sweetheart."

Ryou continued to sob loudly and tried to lean his head on Shiori's shoulders. Soon, they heard sniffles coming from Yuki and Tokiko. When Haru glanced down at them, he could see they were crying as well. He knelt down to them and "wrapped" his arms around them as well.

"You poor things," he whispered. They began to cry louder. "It's okay. You don't have to hold back your tears anymore."

They cried for nearly five minutes, and when they could not cry anymore, Shiori and Haru let go of them and stood up. Shiori smiled at them again.

"Feel better?"

The three children exchanged looks. Ryou reached out to touch Haru and Shiori, but hesitated. He glanced at Yuki, who nodded; Ryou then held onto Haru's and Shiori's hands. Their eyes widened, and it was as though they were in Ryou's body during the time of the murders. They saw, felt, and heard everything… The blindfold on Ryou's eyes, the screams, the hard ground… They felt someone lift up Ryou and place him on a cold, hard table. The blindfold was jerked off Ryou's head, and when they saw who was in front of them, it startled them greatly. Sachiko Shinozaki stood before their eyes, a deranged smile on her face and scissors in her hand. Yoshikazu grabbed Ryou's arms and held them above his head, exposing Ryou's torso. They saw the scissors rising in the air… the pain they felt was so excruciating, but there was nothing they could do. Ryou's screams filled their ears as the stabbing and tearing continued. Blood mixed in with their vision, and they felt Yoshikazu's grip on Ryou's arms tighten as he fought to get away. For a moment, the stabbing stopped… but they felt Sachiko remove Ryou's organs, and Ryou's screams weakened until they saw nothing but blackness and heard nothing anymore. They then realized that they were back in the cafeteria. Ryou was no longer holding onto their hands. His eyes were full of sorrow as he looked down at the floor. Haru and Shiori for a moment could not breathe; they had felt the pain Ryou had experienced during his time of death. They shook intensely, and Shiori had tears streaming down her face while Haru's eyes were brimmed with tears. Yuki and Tokiko walked up to Ryou and put their hands on his shoulders in effort to comfort him.

When Haru and Shiori came back to their senses, they looked at the three children with so much sorrow in their eyes. No words could express how horrific the children's experience was or how sorry they felt for them. Haru was the first to speak.

"You… how… I… I know it means nothing… but we are so sorry," he stammered. "That should have never happened to you… it shouldn't happen to anyone…"

The three children whimpered.

"We'll make her pay," Haru snarled. Yuki shook her head. "…Right… how could we?"

"…I know what happened was beyond what words could express," Shiori began, "but please… you have to stop hurting people. You're doing just what Sachiko was. Please, stop."

Yuki bowed her head, and Ryou's eyes widened in fear.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Haru asked. Ryou and Yuki looked up at him at this, and it gave Haru his answer. He knelt down in front of them and smiled empathetically at them. "Don't worry. We'll protect you."

Yuki and Ryou jerked, their eyes wide in perplexity. However, a smile soon took its place. They took Tokiko by her hands then walked out of the classroom, the door sliding shut behind them. Haru and Shiori exhaled deeply and relaxed; however, their relaxation was short-lived when the air suddenly thickened, and the temperature dropped again. They looked around the room to see dozens of ghosts appearing, and in the masses of them, a red dress was visible. Haru and Shiori felt the air leave their lungs when they saw Sachiko Shinozaki in front of them. Haru grabbed Shiori's hand and pulled her behind him, placing him in harm's way so that Shiori may be safe. The ghosts in the room seemed to be sad, while Sachiko seemed angry.

"_You thought you could get through to them? That your fleeting act of kindness would make a difference? Don't make me laugh,"_ she lashed out. _"In five minutes, they will forget every word you spoke to them, and they will pursue you." _

"Sachiko, you have to let them go," Haru boldly spoke. "What you are doing is wrong."

"_Let them go? Go where? Hmm? They are tied to this school just like I and all the ones who have perished here are,"_ Sachiko said as gestured to the ghosts in the room. _"No one cared at all… no one saved me." _

"That's not true!" Shiori cried out. "Sachiko, your mother wanted to save you… all of your friends, and the teachers… they mourned for you! They felt pain for the loss of your mother and you."

"What you are doing is giving people the same pain," Haru continued. "Don't you see what's wrong with that?"

Sachiko bowed her head, and the ghosts disappeared. All at once, she raised her head, her eyes filled with a rage that the two had never seen. The room began to shake violently as Sachiko took two steps toward them. _"You words mean nothing to me. Do you think he ever felt guilty for what he did to me and my mother? Think anyone came to look for me? Your words are meaningless and fake, just like everyone else is."_

Haru pulled Shiori with him as he ran to the door. He tried to slide it open, but it would not budge. They looked outside to see Tokiko, Yuki, and Ryou standing on the other side; Yuki and Ryou stared at them with fear. Haru and Shiori wheeled around to see the ghosts had returned, but this time, they appeared furious; Sachiko giggled as she made her way to them. The ghosts reached out to Haru and Shiori, who were pressed against the door. Just as Sachiko brought out a pair of scissors, the door slid open, and Haru and Shiori fell out the room. They jumped back up and darted down the hall and did not stop running, no matter how far they went.

They found the entrance to the annex and pushed the doors open as they ran outside. They threw open the doors and ran into the annex, around the corner-

"Oof!" they grunted as they ran into a group of people. They and a couple of the people fell to the ground. They sat up and were astonished to see-

"Hideki!" Haru smiled as he breathed heavily.

"Haru! Shiori!" everyone gasped.

All the friends were reunited at last. They exchanged hugs and laughter as they were thrilled to see that everyone was still alive. They allowed Haru and Shiori to catch their breaths before they asked questions. Each was saddened to see that they were hurt or injured, but nonetheless, they were grateful that everyone was alive. Reika introduced Tsukiyama to Haru and Shiori. Once they were settled, and the air was back in their lungs, Haru and Shiori told them about their run-in with Tokiko, Yuki, Ryou, and Sachiko, and when they were finished, Hideki sighed.

"This just keeps getting worse and worse…" he whispered. "We discovered the principal's room, and what we found…" he stopped.

"What? What did you find?" Shiori questioned.

"Come with us," Anju said. "It's better that you see."


	12. The Charm

"Haru! Let's eat lunch together!" Shiori beamed as she grabbed Haru's hand and started pulling him throughout the schoolyard. Haru chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, huh?"

"Not at all," Shiori giggled as she continued to pull Haru along.

The day was beautiful and the sun shone brightly. There was a gentle breeze that took the edge off the summer heat and rustled the grass and leaves. Teenagers scattered all over the schoolyard with their lunches, ready to eat and laugh with friends, and the area was full of their voices. Shiori led Haru to a picnic table under towering oak trees where Hideki, Reika, Anju, and Ayame sat, all with their lunches. They greeted each other as Haru and Shiori sat down with them. While they ate, they talked about the day and the homework given them; Reika accidentally disclosed that she had a crush on a boy named Eiji Tsubata, and Hideki joked to her that he would have to determine whether he was "boyfriend material" or not. In due time, the bell rang, and they had to return to their classes. The school day ended not too long after that, and each went and did their own thing: Haru went to work, Hideki to practice basketball, Reika to gymnastics, Shiori home to do homework, and Ayame and Anju to run around the track to keep in shape for volleyball. When Haru got home from work, he called Shiori to let her know he was home. She worried about him frequently, so he would call her so as not to worry her. They talked about their day after school, and before they hung up, they exchanged "I love you's." After he hung up, he started in on him homework, which he finally finished by midnight. He went and took a hot shower then fell asleep. It had been a good day, despite having to deal with his jerk of a boss.

However, the next day was a different story. The next day was the anniversary of his mother's death. When he woke up in the morning, he looked at the picture on his desk- the picture of his mother's beautiful, smiling face. He slowly rose up and looked at his reflection in the mirror; a long scar was on his torso that had been there ever since he was nine. Upon seeing the scar, Haru's mind went back to the day which his mother lost her life…

_Haru, nine years old, stood in front of the school, his backpack on the ground in front of him. He kept looking up and down the street in watch for his mother's car. Finally, she pulled up and stopped, allowing Haru to open the door and hop into the car. He tossed his backpack to the back of the car and strapped his seatbelt across his torso the smiled at his mother, whom smiled back at him. She always had a warm smile on her face, no matter what the situation she was in. They soon started off toward home. The sun shone vividly in the cloudless sky, and they rode with their windows down, allowing their skin to feel the breeze. Conversation started about their day, and Haru asked her if he could go stay the weekend with Hideki and his family, to which she agreed that he could. They arrived at the traffic light; they had the green, so they continued forward. Suddenly, a loud crash filled Haru's ears, and it felt as if his entire body had been hit with an extreme force. He saw nothing for some time, and when he opened his eyes, he saw his mother in the seat next to him. Fear struck his heart when he saw blood running down her face; her head was tilted back, but her eyes were wide open. He started to move but felt an intense pain in his torso. He looked down to see a jagged piece of metal from the car was protruding from it, and his shirt was drenched in his blood. He heard sirens close by, and he could hear people trying to get to him and his mother to determine if they were still alive. _

"_Are they okay? Can you get to them?" a woman spoke, her voice shaky. _

"_I'm trying!" a man cried out. "I can't get her door open!"_

_Haru reached out toward his mother and touched her shoulder. "Mama?"_

_She blinked and slowly turned her head toward her son. What Haru saw horrified him. There was a huge gash on the left side of her face that was so deep, he could see her teeth and gums. She was wounded severely, but somehow, she was still conscious. _

"_Haru… you're alive."_

"_Let's bust in the window!" a woman suggested. _

"_We have to be sure not to hurt them more in the process, okay?" another man spoke._

"_Mama…" Haru weakly whimpered. "…Does it hurt?"_

"_I don't feel much, baby," she whispered. Haru saw people on the hood of the car, trying to bust the window so they could get to them. "Haru, listen to me…" He looked at his mother, perplexed to see tears in her eyes. "You've given me so much joy… When I married your father, we both wanted a child… and I'm so glad we were given you. I was so unsure the first time I help you in my arms, but you've become a wonderful little boy." Haru heard the glass shatter, and saw firemen/women running to the car. Soon, they and paramedics were there, working on getting Haru and his mother out. "You'll grow up… you'll face so many obstacles… but don't be scared. Life is a beautiful thing… so little do people actually live it. Find someone who will make you happy, just like you and your father have made me…" The firefighters cut the seatbelt that supported Haru. "I love you, Haru. Very much." _

_Tears rolled down Haru's cheeks. "I love you too, Mama." Haru was lifted out of the car. He saw his mother close her eyes, and he knew… "Mama?" he called. When she did not answer, the realization sunk in. He began to sob out loud and reach out for his mother, but he paramedics were carrying him away. He saw a faint smile spread across his mother's face as the color faded from her skin. Bystanders could not help but weep at the scene. Haru's tears fell harder, but his vision began to darken. "Mama?! Mama, no! Mama! MAMAAAA!" _

Haru blinked, surprised to feel wetness on his cheeks. He wiped the tears away quickly and refused to look back at the mirror. The scar was hideous in his eyes, and the less he looked at it, the better off he was.

As Haru brushed his teeth, he heard the door to the apartment open. He peeked around the corner to see Hideki standing in the living room, a brown paper bag in his left hand. Haru finished brushing his teeth, got dressed, and walked into the living room. He and Hideki sat down on the couch, and Hideki removed the contents in the paper bag.

Haru laughed. "Hideki, you know just how to coolest of dudes!"

Hideki had made Tamagoyaki, which was Haru's favorite dish for breakfast. Haru rarely ate breakfast, but when he did, he ate a large amount of Tamagoyaki. The two sat on the couch and finished their breakfast then left for school. The sun was hidden behind dark clouds, and it threatened to rain. The wind blew somewhat fiercely, so Haru and Hideki hurriedly ran to school, where their friends awaited them. Shiori hugged Haru, knowing that his heart was full of torment. However, Haru had a smile on his face, laughed and joked, and acted his normal self. During one of their classes, Shiori, Ayame, and Anju were sitting in front of computers; Ayame and Anju were writing on a paper, and when they looked to see if Shiori was nearly done with her paper, they were amazed to see that she was surfing the web.

"Shiori, what are you doing? If Sensei Idachi catches you, you'll be in a lot of trouble!" Anju whispered.

"Look at this, guys," Shiori said, ignoring Anju's warning. The two looked on Shiori's screen to see a paper doll. "It's called the Sachiko Ever-After Charm."

"Not this again, Shiori," Ayame sighed. "Charms don't work. Science proves that."

"It's supposed to bring happiness and connection to whomever performs the charm," Shiori continued, Ayame's words falling on deaf ears. "Maybe… maybe it can help Haru."

"Haru's fine," Anju said, rapping her fingers on the desk.

"You call that fine?" Shiori asked. "Look, you guys can believe what you want to believe. I just want to see him happy, and if this charm brings it, then so be it. What harm could it do?"

Ayame made a clicking sound with her tongue. "I suppose you're right. It's a harmless, meaningless charm."

"Think Haru will let you do it? He doesn't really go for this kind of stuff, you know," Anju inquired.

Shiori nodded; Haru was always ready to make Shiori blissful, even if it was to be the guinea pig to one of her "silly" charms. They agreed that after school, since Haru was off for the day, that they would head over to his apartment; if his cousin was there, they would ask him if he would like to join as well. During lunch, they asked Hideki and Reika about it, to which they happily agreed to come along. After school, they ran over to Haru's in the pouring rain. His cousin was not there, but they did not mind. While they were preparing for the charm, the rain stopped and the sun began to shine, much to Haru's relief.

"All right! So, are we doing this thing or what?" Shiori grinned.

Haru shifted in his shoes, feeling very uncomfortable. "Shi, are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Why not? I researched this, and there are supposedly no ill-effects."

Haru crossed his arms. "I don't know. I'm not sure I'm okay with this."

Shiori playfully punched his shoulder, giggling as she did. "Come on, Haru! It's a charm to bring happiness!"

"But, I am happy," Haru smiled. "I've got you, and some pretty good friends to boot." Shiori put her hands on her hips and stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. Haru sighed. "Okay, okay. We'll do the charm."

"Thank you!" Shiori beamed. "I'll get everything together!"

As she began to assemble what was needed for the charm, Hideki walked up to Haru and put a hand on his shoulder. Haru looked at Hideki and realized he was lucky to have him as a friend. Hideki had been through so much with him, and even was bullied because he stood up for him. It was because of Hideki that he had the friends which were in the room with him. They had all known Hideki, and he introduced them to him, with the exception of Shiori that is. If it had not been for his friends, Haru more than likely would not have stayed in school. He would have dropped out, and after that, he was not sure what would have become of him.

Hideki smiled at Haru. "I've seen you endure a lot, friend, but you overcame everything, despite what everyone thought."

"That's right," Reika agreed. "We're proud of you."

"Guys…" Haru sighed, humbled by their kind words. "You don't have to cheer me up. I promise you, I'm fine."

"We know," Anju spoke, "but we just wanted to let you know what we think of you, is all."

Haru could not refrain from grinning. Indeed, he had some amazing friends. Shiori finished her preparations and had the friends get in a small circle. Hideki looked at Anju, and when she saw that he was staring at her, she locked her eyes onto his. He smiled at her, which caused her to blush. Shiori inhaled then exhaled and clapped her hands together.

"Okay! Let's get this started!"


	13. And Back

Their reunion brought them undeniable happiness, but they knew that their task was not over. Hideki lead the way to the principal's office, but along the way, Shiori and Haru noticed the shattered window and the blood and the floor and shards of glass. They informed Shiori and Haru of Morishige's horrible death then wordlessly moved on. Finally, they reached Takamine Yanagihori's office, and when they entered, it seemed as if they were in a different world. There were spiritual seals that covered the walls of the room; there was not a bare inch to be seen. The desk was old and had nicks and chips on it. The room felt so cold, and since the revelation of what had happened in this room, it had a very intimidating feel.

"So, what was it that you wanted to show us?" Shiori asked Hideki. Hideki, Tsukiyama, Ayame, Anju, and Reika all exchanged glances. Reika then walked behind the desk, knelt down, and pulled back some of the seals to reveal a tiny door.

"We opened it and went in a little ways," she spoke. "It leads to the underground part of the school."

"We came back to find you," Tsukiyama said.

"Thank-you," Haru smiled.

Reika opened the tiny door, but all at once, it was as if someone had grabbed her by her throat (she had reached up to her throat and was making choking noises) and threw her into the wall. A sharp cry escaped her lips as she slammed against the wall and fell onto the floor. Hideki ran to Reika, scared that she may be hurt; a gash had appeared behind her right ear, and her mouth bled. As Hideki began to check Reika for more wounds, the others became vigilant.

_"It is not my fault…" _

The small door slammed shut rather loudly. Haru had the girls get behind him, and Hideki stood in front of Reika to protect her.

_"She should have said yes…" _

The temperature of the room grew colder, and oddly enough, they smelled the scent of cheap cologne that was imitation to a more expensive brand. More than likely, he must have been wearing it the day he killed Yoshie and Sachiko in order to impress Yoshie. Before their eyes, Takamine appeared before them behind him desk. In his hands was a blood-soaked leather pouch. He opened a drawer in his desk and placed the bag in it then closed it.

_"She's clearly in the wrong. It's all her fault."_

Overcome with rage, Reika rose to her feet and pushed by her brother, her eyes furiously locked onto Takamine. It was all because of him that people were dying… that the school even existed. She gathered all her might and yelled at Takamine.

"Her fault?! Her?! You tried to rape her! You killed her and Sachiko! Everything is all because of _YOU_!"

Takamine turned to Reika and looked at her with ferocity in his eyes. Before Hideki could get to his sister, Takamine had charged at her. Reika screamed and closed her eyes; instead, Takamine ran past her, screaming at the top of his lungs. He ran to the door of the room, opened it, ran out, and slammed it shut, his screaming still echoing in the hallway and continuing until they could not hear it anymore. The youths stood still, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Did… did Takamine go mad?" Ayame questioned.

"I didn't do it… did I?" Reika whispered.

Suddenly, they heard a scream from outside. They ran out of the room and saw through the window Takamine's falling body. Abruptly, his scream ended as they heard his body hit the ground below. Reika bowed her head, and Hideki knew instantly she felt guilty. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze.

"Don't feel bad at all, Reika. He was the one who killed Sachiko and her mother," he consoled.

"That's right," Hideki chimed in. "His spirit had to face the guilt."

"I… think that was his punishment," Tsukiyama whispered. "I think he felt so guilty for what he did that it drove him to commit suicide from jumping from the roof…"

"That makes sense," Haru stated, "but we really shouldn't linger."

"Right," Anju nodded. "Let's go check out that crawlspace."

Together, they returned to the room and knelt down in from of the crawlspace. One by one, with Hideki in the lead and Haru trailing behind in order to offer protection to the girls; they crawled on all-fours until they came to an open room. They stood up and took in their surroundings. The floors were dirt, and the walls were patched here and there with wooden boards. Lights that hung from the ceiling were dim and did little to lift the darkness. Intensity and fear filled their hearts, but they were not certain as to why.

"This is as far as we got," Ayame piped up.

"So, you don't know where this leads?" Shiori inquired. "Well, let's find out together."

"Does… anyone else feel that?" Tsukiyama spoke.

"Yeah," Hideki nodded. "Whatever is down here… it's full of hate and sadness. We need to be more careful now than we have ever been."

They began to make their way throughout the underground passageways, their minds full of uncertainty. Tsukiyama thought constantly about her friends who had died here. Even if they did find a way out, what would she do? How would she recover? They all still had each other, but her friends were gone. She thought about Hideki and Haru; Hideki had killed one of her friends to save her and Reika, and Haru had taken a life to protect himself and Shiori. How would they recover with blood-stained hands? She used to hate Hideki, but he had to what had to be done. She noticed the very moment he took her friend's life that what little light that was left in his eyes faded. Wracked with guilt and confusion, she stopped walking. The others noticed and grew concerned.

"Tsukiyama? What's wrong?" Reika asked.

"I… I can't keep going."

"Oh, are you tired? Here, let's rest a moment," Anju suggested.

"No…" she whispered, shaking her head. "Have none of you thought about it? What we will do when we get out?" Silence filled the area. "Well, I have! What are we supposed to do? Just go on like this didn't happen? All my friends are dead!" Hideki looked as if someone had stabbed him. Reika hugged him to comfort him while Anju gently grabbed his hand. "Hideki and Haru killed someone! The things we've seen and done… How the hell do we get through this?!"

Nothing was said for a moment. Hideki and Haru had tears in their eyes. Ayame walked up to Tsukiyama and smiled sadly at her.

"We just do," she said. "We have to. We live on. You can honor your friends-"

"I don't want that!" Tsukiyama sobbed, tears flowing from her eyes. "What do I tell their families?! How do I keep going _knowing_ their bodies, their souls, are here?!"

"Do you think they would want you to remember them that way?" Ayame asked. "Of course not. Keep the memories you have of them before here."

"You expect me to just _forget_?" Tsukiyama snarled.

"Not at all," Ayame shook her head, "but don't let what happened here consume you. Look what that did to Sachiko."

Tsukiyama looked down at the ground. Her tears seemed as if they could not stop flowing.

"I don't want to keep living… I don't want to go back…"

"If you're suggesting us to leave you here so you can die, you're freaking stupid," Hideki snapped. "If you can't live after all this, then end it at home where your soul won't be in torment for eternity. But before you do, think about your family… about Sae."

The mention of Tsukiyama's little sister, Sae, made her jerk. Her wide eyes locked on to Hideki's eyes, which had a faint light in them now.

"Sae? Is that your sister?" Shiori asked. Still stunned, Tsukiyama could only nod.

"Her baby sister, who just turned two," Reika spoke up in Tsukiyama's stead.

"You say you don't want to live anymore, but would you really leave Sea behind to never really know what kind of a person her sister was?" Anju questioned. Tears flowed harder from Tsukiyama's eyes.

"Keep going… if not for anyone else but her," Haru smiled. "Okay?"

Tsukiyama sobbed for a couple minutes then dried her tears. They then agreed to keep going, unsure of where the path would take them. About then minutes passed by, and they found themselves in a massive open room. What was seen made each of them scream or cry out in horror; Ayame and Reika dry-heaved. There were tables in the room lined up in rows of 3X3, and on the tables were the heads of children and teenagers as well as copious amounts of blood. The heads were either decomposed (with only the bones remaining), in the process of decomposition (the skin being eaten by maggots, some with eyes or an eye missing), or fresh. Reika buried her face in Hideki's torso and wept. Unable to do anything, they chose to go on, but to their dismay, the next room was just the same. Filled with rage for the children and teenagers whose lives were so brutally cut short, Haru punched the wall. They felt unimaginable pain and sorrow for the ones who had lost their lives in this place, but they also knew that they did not want themselves added to the overwhelming numbers. So, they continued to the next room. When they opened the room, darkness and the powerful stench of putrefaction greeted them, and it made them not want to enter the room. Hideki brought out his cell phone to use it as a light source.

"Shit!" he screamed, nearly dropping his phone.

"What the hell is this?!" Anju cried out.

Hanging from a rope in the middle of the room was a decaying Yoshikazu Yanagihori. The sight was so gruesome that it made the hair on the back of their necks raise and sent chills down their spines. Haru cautiously walked up to the body and examined it.

"He did this to himself," he spoke. "See the chair?"

A chair laid knocked-over on the floor. Shiori covered her mouth, stunned.

"He felt remorse and guilt…"

"I don't feel sorry for him," Haru snarled. "He could have stopped at any time. Those poor children…"

"Well, let's-"

A pain-filled scream filled their ears, cutting off Ayame and scaring them immensely. The scream sounded as if it were in the next room, and whoever it came from was extremely tormented and in pain. The screams continued, and the entire place began to shake. Petrified, confused, and unsure on what to do, they ran back the way they came and did not stop running as rocks and dirt fell from the top of passageways. They could still hear the screams coming, and they seemed to be just as close as they were when they were in the room that contained Yoshikazu's corpse. Suddenly, Yuki, Tokiko, and Ryou appeared just as they ran by.

"Wait!" Yuki called out. They jerked to a halt, stunned that Yuki had just spoken. They looked at the three children; Tokiko's tongue was motionless and dry against her bottom lip, and Ryou had his hand on her shoulder as if he were comforting her. Yuki peered at them with her one eye that seemed full of doubt, and yet held sympathy and compassion. The friends were astonished that the children were not pursuing them or trying to harm them. Shiori gathered her courage to speak to the children.

"You can speak?" she asked.

"Our tongues were returned to us," Yuki replied. In the distance, they heard a bell gong.

"What was that?" Reika gasped.

"Listen, you don't have much time," Yuki quickly began. "Don't ask questions either. The answers don't matter. The barriers have all been broken, and a small portal has been opened."

"So… we can go home?" Shiori smiled.

"Yes, but you have to hurry," Yuki answered. "Run outside to the walkway, jump over the banisters, and keep running. We'll help you get out of here."

A second gong was heard.

"What about-"

"We're bound to this place," Yuki replied, knowing the question Reika was about to ask. "Don't let that happen to you."

"Why are you doing this?" Anju questioned.

"Because you each tried to help us," Yuki sadly smiled. "No more questions! Go!"

"Thank you," each spoke to the children, teary-eyed, before running away. The children lingered briefly then faded away.

Their bodies sore, their lungs aching for more oxygen, and their leg muscles burning, they ran until they found the crawlspace and hurried in. They heard a third gong, and they wondered how long they had; however, they did not let the thought hinder them, nor were they going to test it. They stood up in Takamine's office and pressed on. Anju's knee screamed in agony, but she knew it could wait. Down the stairs, past the place Morishige took his life- another gong. In no time, they found the entrance to the annex, and Hideki threw open the doors. They ran to the banisters and jumped over it, barely allowing time for their feet to hit the ground before they kept running. In front of them, they could see tiny ribbons tied on trees in a straight line; was this the children's way of helping them? Their bodies were nearly given out, and their throats were parched, but they followed the ribbons, one foot in front of the other. Whiteness filled their eyes as they heard another gong then nothing more.

Ayame felt hardwood floor beneath her. She could have sworn she heard birds singing outside, but she was not sure. Slowly, she opened her eyes to recognize the interior to Haru's apartment. Unable to believe it, she pinched herself to see if she were dreaming, and when she realized her pain receptors were inhibited, tears of happiness filled her eyes. She looked around to see that her friends were all on the floor around her, unconscious. She began to shake Anju gently and call out to her. In a moment, not only did Anju awaken but so did everyone else. They realized Tsukiyama was not with them, and they hoped she was returned to the place she did the charm at. They stood up and looked around the room, in shock that they had made it back alive. Wounds they had received were still on their bodies, and Anju's knee throbbed. Yet, despite their wounds and severe fatigue, they began to rejoice and hug each other. Even Hideki and Haru could not stop the tears that flowed down their cheeks.

"We made it!" Reika giggled.

"Hell yeah! We're back home!" Haru yelled as he thrust his fist upward into the air.

Almost immediately, they went to the kitchen and filled glasses with water. Never again would they take water for granted, and before they noticed it had drank four or five glasses before they slowed down. They heard the door open, and before they could even turn around-

"Holy shit! Haru!" his cousin cried out as he ran over and hugged him.

"Takeshi!" Haru laughed as they embraced.

"Where the hell have you all been?" Takeshi Kanno (his father was Haru's father's brother, thus the same last name) asked as they let go. He took a look at each of them, stunned to see their injuries. "You all look like hell… What happened? Everyone has been looking for you!"

Hesitantly, they told Takeshi the truth, unsure if he would believe it. At first, Takeshi appeared to be upset, but he then calmed down. Hideki and Haru even told him about the life each of them had taken. Takeshi hugged each of them and smiled warmly.

"It's a crazy story, that's for sure… but I believe you."

"What? You do?" Ayame asked , surprised.

"Yeah," Takeshi nodded. "You can't just make that up. I promise, I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks, Takeshi," Haru smiled.

"But, what excuse can we give our families?" Shiori questioned. "They won't believe this."

Takeshi thought for a moment then snapped his fingers. "I got it. Tell them you went bike riding and got lost. No cell phone reception. Then say you got in a bike wreck- your bikes got jumbled up."

"That's surprisingly crafty of you, Takeshi," Haru spoke.

"I hate lying, but how else can we do this?" Anju sighed.

"I'll take you all to the doctor and get your wounds looked at," Takeshi offered. "Let's go."

After the trip to the doctor, they each returned home. They were fussed at slightly, but their families, after (and to the youths' surprise) two days of being gone, were more relieved that they were alive. That night, they thought that sleep would elude them; however, it found them quickly, and they slept well. When the morning arrived, Anju called everyone and urged them to go to school, which they did. People asked about their injuries and their being absent for two days, and that was to be expected. Luckily, it was Friday, so they were glad to get some rest over the weekend.

Tsukiyama lingered in their thoughts, and they agreed that they would find her whereabouts and check on her, perhaps even become friends with her. Hideki wondered if Tsukiyama would even want anything to do with him; regardless, he had to try. A week went by. Hideki and Haru struggled with coming to terms with the fact that they had taken someone's life, and all still had nightmares about the place. With luck, they discovered that Tsukiyama lived in a neighboring city. That weekend, they would go- that is, if she agreed to see them. Shiori decided to write a letter that asked for permission to visit; three days later, they received a letter from her parents.

Tsukiyama, unable to overcome what she had experienced at Heavenly Host, had taken her own life.

The news hit everyone hard. Her parents stated in the letter that they thought she had lost her mind since she told them about Heavenly Host and her friends who had died. What was written next stunned them all. They wrote that the friends Tsukiyama spoke of had never existed, and that she was making them up. It all made sense; not only had she killed herself from grief, but also because the school, in its last awful trick, took the very existence of her friends from her life. It was too much for her to bear. They went that weekend to the city as planned and paid their respects at Tsukiyama's grave.

Hideki and Haru felt worse now than ever. Those two boys they had killed were not only taken away in person, but their very existence was as well. Before Heavenly Host, they had families and friends, and were probably good people. Now, it was as though they never existed at all. The thought was almost more than they could stand, but their friends stuck by them and helped them overcome the feelings they had.

The only thing left to do now was to heal.


	14. Epilogue

_*Hi, everyone! This is it! This is the last chapter of this story. I am not going to use the "ending" that Book of Shadows utilizes (that really bothers me, and I think that they deserve a good ending, yeah?), so this is how this is going to end. There will be no going back to Heavenly Host. Anyway, thank you so much for reading this and sticking to it this whole time! I'm really thankful! _

_Sincerely, _

_Kari*_

~Twelve Years Later~

Their days at Heavenly Host, while in the distant past, were still clear to their memories so many years later.

Unable and unwilling to forget what they had experienced there, they made a promise to meet at Tsukiyama Koruba's grave once per year and the anniversary of the day they returned from Heavenly Host. There, they paid their respects to her, Shinji Minako, and all the ones who had died at Heavenly Host by lighting one candle. No matter what the circumstance, this act never changed, and neither did the bond that they all had for each other from enduring the wrath of the school together. They each bore scars from their endeavors that were a constant reminder of what occurred.

On the other hand, there were many things that had changed.

Shortly after arriving back, Haru kept his promise and married Shiori. They lived two doors down from Takeshi, and graduated high school. Haru decided not to go to college and worked at a power plant. Shiori, however, did go on to college and became an elementary school teacher. Seven years later, they welcomed a son into the world and named him Masaru. Shortly after giving birth to Masaru, they decided they needed a house and moved to the countryside. Despite the fact that they were married, Haru still wore the same ribbon on his wrist. While both grew up generally having difficult lives, they made the best out of it and gave happiness to each other and their son, whom looked just like Haru. Every summer, they grew a vegetable and spice garden, and in their front yard had peach trees.

Hideki, nearly a month after the incidents and Heavenly Host, finally admitted to Anju his feelings for her, to which he was delighted that she felt the same way toward him. They graduated high school and went on to college, where Anju became a high school Science teacher and Hideki an engineer. Hideki felt as though he had seen enough brutality and depravity and changed his mind about going in the police force. A year after they began dating, Hideki asked Anju to be his wife, and a year after that they were wed. They lived in a one-story house in the city, and five years after they married had a son whom they named Shinji, in memoriam to the Shinji that had lost his life in Heavenly Host. Two years later, they had a little girl and named her Yua. Shinji looked much like Hideki, while Yua favored Anju. Every year, they grew a lovely flower garden.

Takeshi and Ayame began dating six months after Heavenly Host. Takeshi, twenty years old at the time, was still in college majoring in business. Ayame graduated high school and went on to college to be a physical therapist. Two years after dating, Takeshi graduated college and married Ayame, supporting her until her graduation. They moved out of Takeshi's apartment and into a house in the outskirts of the city. Four years after getting married, Takeshi and Ayame gave birth to a son, whom they named Makoto. Before Makoto was born, Takeshi and Ayame would often go fishing; once when Makoto was old enough, they would take him as well.

Reika, after returning from Heavenly Host, was a more courageous girl. Having seen the worst, standing up to her classmates was no issue at all. She went on through high school and into college to be a journalist. Her first year, second semester into college, she met a twenty-year-old man named Daisuke Nakamura, and the two fell in love. Three years after the two began dating, they became husband and wife. Daisuke became an engineer as well and worked with Hideki, and Reika went on to be a journalist for a well-known magazine company. The two owned two cats named Willow and Luna and enjoyed hiking in the woods. They were planning on trying for children in about a year or so.

Despite everything that had happened at Heavenly Host, their lives were filled with happiness and laughter, as well as times of sadness and moments of torment. Their children would play together, but they would never know of the trials that their parents (minus Daisuke and Takeshi) endured while at Heavenly Host, and how close they were to never having this life they lived today. The events they had witnessed and had acted out themselves were still clear in their minds, and while the young children went with their parents to the graveside, they did not fully know what it was they were there for. Perhaps in time, they would be told.

But, as for the present day, they decided to let their children have their innocence. The smiles that were given by the children, the laughter, the tears- it was worth every ounce of the pain they endured at Heavenly Host just so that they could survive to see this day.

Their bonds, no matter what came between them, no matter the distance, would never be broken.


End file.
